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Rugosa rose spreads by suckers to form dense thickets. Photo Credit: Missouri Botanical Garden.

Rugosa Rose

COMMON NAME:

Rugosa rose

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Rosa rugosa

ORIGIN:

Asia

DESCRIPTION:

Rugosa rose is a deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub that is lined with sharp prickles and grows 4–6 feet tall. Leaves are alternate and compound, with 5–9 leaflets that have serrate margins. The upper surface of leaflets is dark green, shiny, has pronounced veins and a wrinkly appearance, while the underside is whiteish green due to the presence of small hairs. Rugosa rose flowers are purple-pink to white, have 5 petals and bloom from May to June. Flowers are solitary or found in small clusters. Fruits, called rose hips, are 1 inch in diameter, fleshy and have a tomato-like appearance. The fruits are green and ripen to bright red by late summer, and can persist on the plant until late fall and winter.

ECOLOGY
RESOURCES
DISTRIBUTION

HABITAT:

Rugosa rose grows well in sandy habitats and escapes cultivation into dunes and coastal grasslands since it can tolerate salinity. It also survives along sandy roadsides where road salt is applied.

THREAT:

Rugosa rose is drought and salt tolerant so it can conserve water and thrive in dry, salty habitats. It escapes captivity and spreads by rhizomes and suckers to form dense thickets that impact native vegetation. Rugosa rose is relatively disease resistant so the common diseases that impact the Rosaceae family do not help control this species.

MANAGEMENT:

Smaller rugosa rose shrubs can be pulled by hand, but care must be taken to ensure the root mass and extensive underground rhizome system are removed. Herbicides can be applied through cut stump or foliar applications to treat larger infestations.

WNY PRISM PRIORITY:

Data Gap Priority Species
Tier 5a – Survey
NYS Invasive Species Tiers Chart

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Missouri Botanical Garden
Illinois Wildflowers
Native Alternatives -
Virginia rose (Rosa virginiana)
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

NYS Prohibited and Regulated Species - Part 575:

PATHWAYS OF INVASION:

Rugosa rose was introduced as an ornamental plant and is still widely available for landscaping.

REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION:

Unknown. As a data gap priority species, data collection is focused on rugosa rose presence and distribution in the WNY PRISM region.

MAP (via iMapInvasives):

This map shows confirmed observations (green points) submitted to the NYS Invasive Species Database. Absence of data does not necessarily mean absence of the species at that site, but that it has not been reported there. For more information, please visit iMapInvasives.