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Rosa californica Cham. & Schlecht.

California rose, California wildrose

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

USDA Symbol: roca2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A mounded, 3-6 ft., semi-deciduous shrub with prickly branches; bright-green, pinnate leaves; fragrant, pink flowers and red hips.

The California Rose is a member of the rose family (family Rosaceae), which includes herbs, shrubs, and trees with mostly prickly stems. Besides garden roses and wild roses like this one, the family includes many fruit species, including apples, pears, quinces, cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, loquats, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Complexity: Pinnate
Leaf: Green
Fruit:
Size Class: 3-6 ft. , 6-12 ft.

Bloom Information

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

Distribution

USA: CA , OR
Native Distribution: S. OR to Baja through cismontane CA
Native Habitat: A variety of moist sites below 6000 ft.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: None
Soil Description: Moist to mesic soils.
Conditions Comments: Likes shade in the interior; sun at higher elevations or near the coast. Barbed prickles make the shrub impenetrable. Susceptible to fungal problems.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Provides good wildlife habitat.
Use Food: Edible hips.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds

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: Seeds removed from dried hips germinate slowly; outside stratification over a winter helps. Small offsets from the parent root transplant well.
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.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-01-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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