Rosa multiflora
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- RO-zuh mull-tee-FLO-rah
- This plant is an invasive species in North Carolina
- Description
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Multiflora rose is a deciduous shrub in the Rosaceae family. It was brought to the USA from Asia as a rootstock for many roses and its planting was encouraged as a shrub that would attract wildlife, help with erosion, and be used as a "living fence" to contain livestock. It is a rapidly growing climbing, rambling shrub that can reach heights of 10' to 15' feet. The branches are covered in sturdy curved prickles and it can easily form dense thickets in meadows, fields, or forest edges.
The Multiflora Rose can be distinguished from other rose species by the fringed stipules at the base of each leaf. The flowers are also small and white, compared to many wild Rosa species' pink flowers. It can also be easily mistaken for various species of brambles (Rubus sp.) due to similar growth habits and prickles– these can be distinguished by the presence of red or purple stems in Rubrus species where the Multiflora Rose is consistently green.
There are virtually no herbivores that feed on this plant; that, coupled with its prolific seed production, its ability to colonize by rooting stem and to leaf out earlier than native plants in the spring, make it a fierce competitor.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant is invasive and alternative plantings should be considered. Listed as invasive by the NC Invasive Plant Council. See native alternatives to the left.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Glandiflora'
Richly tinged young leaves that become deep green; few reddish prickles; trailing stems; orange-red hips that last into winter
- 'Glandiflora'
- 'Glandiflora'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Glandiflora'
Richly tinged young leaves that become deep green; few reddish prickles; trailing stems; orange-red hips that last into winter
- 'Glandiflora'
- 'Glandiflora'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Rosa
- Species:
- multiflora
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern China, Korea, Japan
- Wildlife Value:
- Birds and small mammals eat the rose hips as a fall and winter food source and disperse the seeds.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 14 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Rose
- Shrub
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Clumping
- Dense
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Appendage:
- Prickles
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- 1/4" red hips appear in clusters late summer and persist into fall. High seed production (achenes; the hip itself is an accessory fruit).
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Corymb
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small showy fragrant white to light pink 5 petaled flowers (1/2 to 1 in wide) clustered in a corymb from late spring to early summer (April to June). Flowers have both male and female parts (perfect).
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate odd-pinnate compound leaves with 5-11 leaflets with serrate margins. Leaflets are ovate 1/2"-2" long with acute (pointed) tips. Petioles have fringed stipules which distinguishes them from other roses.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Bark Description:
- Dark brown, streaks of light brown or gray
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Green to red arching canes with prickles
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Landscape:
- Problems:
- Invasive Species
- Spines/Thorns
- Weedy
