Share

Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Search native plant database:
Name:    
Family:    

Rosa blanda (Smooth rose)
Smith, R.W.

Rosa blanda Ait.

Smooth rose, Early wild rose

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Synonyms: Rosa blanda var. blanda, Rosa subblanda

USDA Symbol: robl

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

This is a thornless or near-thornless rose with blunt leaflets and smooth stems with a whitish bloom. Five-petaled flowers are pale pink to white. The shrub is 2-5 ft. tall with a dense, mounded habit.

Spreads vigorously by root suckers once established. The hips are an excellent source of vitamin C. (Ontario Native Plants 2002)

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Fruit: Red
Size Class: 3-6 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: CT , IA , IL , IN , KS , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , SD , VT , WI , WV
Canada: MB , NB , NL , ON , QC , SK
Native Distribution: Que. to Man., s. to MD, KY, n. MO & e. KS
Native Habitat: Dry, open woods; hills; prairies; roadsides
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Rocky soils.
Conditions Comments: Susceptible to fungal problems.

Benefit

Warning: Plant has thorns or prickles.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees
Special Value to Bumble Bees
Provides Nesting Materials/Structure for Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Propagated by stem cuttings or division of rootstock. Softwood cuttings should be taken with a heel and treated with hormone. Rose seeds should be taken from the hips as soon as ripe and planted in the open or stratified before planting.
Seed Collection: Hips can be collected as soon as they are ripe. Achenes can then be extracted by macerating the hips in water and recovering the seeds by flotation.
Seed Treatment: Cold-moist stratification is required to break the dormancy of most rose species.
Commercially Avail: yes

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

American Native Nursery - Quakertown, PA
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

Bibliography

* The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Rosa blanda in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Rosa blanda in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rosa blanda

Metadata

Record Modified: 2012-12-09
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back