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Smith, R.W.

Rosa blanda

Rosa blanda Aiton

Smooth Rose, Early Wild Rose

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: robl

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

This is a thornless or near-thornless rose with blunt leaflets and smooth stems. Five-petaled flowers are pink to whitish. The shrub is 2-6 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

18 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall.
Fruit: Red hip (mature floral tube) surrounding achenes.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink
Bloom Time: May , 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

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

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				FACU	FACU		FACU	FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Bibliography

Bibref 1294 - 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

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

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: 2023-02-24
Research By: TWC Staff

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