The Friends of the Wildflower Garden
P. O. Box 3793
Minneapolis MN 55403
WILD ROSE COMPARISON
There are six species of wild rose on the current Garden Census. Details of each are given in a table below. The flowers will all look similar other than for differences in size, position, and sometimes color. Most have some form of stem prickle, and all have pinnately divided leaves, with the number and style of leaflets varying. The red fruit known as Rose hips, add much red color to the fall landscape.
| Name | Carolina Rose | Climbing Rose |
| Species | R. carolina | R. setigera |
| Height | 6 to 48" | 4 to 12 feet |
| Stems | erect, usually unbranched | Vine like-arching |
| Thorns | straight, rounded and near the nodes, more dense near ground none on new growth | short, stubby, slightly curved, not numerous |
| Flower | white to pink, sepals persistent, stalked glands on buds and sepals. | unisexual, pink, 3" wide. Gland under the bud, stalked glands on buds and sepals, sepals not persistent. |
| Flower Position | on this year's stems, solitary | on this year's stems in a tight cluster |
| Leaflets | 5 to 7 (9), oblong to rounded, coarse teeth, a few hair on the underside central rib, two winged stipules at leaf base. | 3, sometimes 5 on older growth, ovate to lanceolate with long pointed tips. 2 winged stipules at base of leaf, fine teeth. |
| Minnesota Native status | Not native, listed as native by one source, but no collected examples. Found in landscape collections. | not native, found in landscape collections. |
| Name | Prairie Rose | Prickly Rose |
| Species | R. arkansana | R. acicularlis |
| Height | less than 40" | up to 48" |
| Stems | erect, little branched | erect, branching |
| Thorns | straight and unequal, densely prickled on lower stems and internodes. Sparser above. | straight and unequal, densely prickled on stems and internodes. |
| Flower | pink to rose, 1 - 2" wide, sepals persistent | pink to dark rose, 1 - 2 1/3" wide, sepals persistent |
| Flower Position | on top of this year's branches and often on last year's side branches if existing; wide cluster of 2 - 3 stalked flowers. | on last year's side branches, usually solitary |
| Leaflets | 7 to 11 oval to oblong, sharply toothed often fuzzy under. 2 stipules at base w/outward turned teeth at leaf base | 5 to 9, elliptical to oval, often twice toothed, conspicuous winged stipules at base of leaf |
| Minnesota Native status | native -the general species is widespread in state. Varieties more restricted. | native- found in the NE quadrant and 3 SE counties |
| Name | Smooth Rose | Woods' Rose |
| Species | R. blanda | R. woodsii |
| Height | 12 to 36" | up to 10' |
| Stems | erect, branching | erect, branching, reddish brown to gray |
| Thorns | mostly without except at base of old stems. | usually slightly curved, not dense, on old & new wood. |
| Flower | white to pink, 1 1/2 to 2 1/3" wide, sepals persistent | pink, 1 to 2", sepals persistent |
| Flower Position | on branches lateral from last year's growth, single or in wide cluster of stalked flowers. | on branches lateral from old stems, solitary or a few in a cluster at tip of new stem |
| Leaflets | 5 to 7, sometimes 9, oblong, coarsely toothed, stipule with elongated teeth and may have glandular hair. | 5 to 9 ovate or elliptical, sharply toothed toward tip. 2 wide stipules at base of leaf. |
| Minnesota Native status | native and found in most of the state | native in scattered counties in the north 1/3 of state, a few south. |
An information sheet on Swamp Rose, R. palustris, is also available (a plant not shown on this page).
R. carolina
R. setigera
R. arkansana
R. acicularlis
R. blanda
R. woodsii
Additional plant thumbnail selections to choose from:
Grasses/Sedges
Ferns
Spring
Late Spring
Early Summer - all colors.
Late Summer
Late Summer Seeds and fruits
Autumn
Autumn Seeds