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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.

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Rosa palustris (Swamp rose)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Rosa palustris Marsh.

Swamp rose

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Synonyms: Rosa floridana

USDA Symbol: ropa

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

An upright shrub, 6-8 ft. tall, with numerous, bushy-branched, thorny stems; dark-green, pinnately compound foliage and showy, but short-lived, dark rose-pink flowers. A pink-flowered shrub with stout, hooked prickles.

The Swamp Rose is a member of the family Rosaceae which includes about 2,000 species of trees, shrubs, and herbs worldwide, including service-berries (Amelanchier), hawthorns (Crataegus), apples (Malus), plums and cherries (Prunus), and mountain-ashes (Sorbus), in addition to the many wild and cultivated types of roses.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf: Green
Fruit: Red, Orange
Size Class: 6-12 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Time: May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV
Canada: NB , NS , ON , QC
Native Distribution: N.S. to MN, s. to FL & TN
Native Habitat: Swamps; wet thickets; marshy shores of streams, ponds & lakes
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Wet, rich soils.
Conditions Comments: Susceptible to fungal problems.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant 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: 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

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Prickly vine for fire escape in Boston
February 23, 2010
I live in Boston area and would like to plant a prickly vine that will grow on my fire escape. What do you recommend?
view the full question and answer

From the National Suppliers Directory

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

Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery - Orefield, PA
American Native Nursery - Quakertown, PA
Toadshade Wildflower Farm - Frenchtown, NJ
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

Bibliography

Bibref 996 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (1994) Wasowski, Sally and Andy Wasowski
* 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 palustris in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Rosa palustris in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rosa palustris

Metadata

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

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