Rosa virginiana (Virginia Rose)

Michael's Opinion

With over 150 species of roses and many more cultivars, this one stands out being hardy and very easy to grow and care for, making it great choice for a Canadian garden. It brings beauty and some wildness to a garden as a native plant. Due to it's wildness, it may not be a first choice as it can grow quite large and has a habit of suckering. However, the single pale pink flowers attract pollinators, and the ruby red fruit attracts birds and mammals, making this species very useful in a landscape. As it isn't hybridized to be more fragrant, more colourful, smaller in size, etc. it simply brings an elegance in being a rustic rose that would look great in a park, at a cottage, or in a woodland area to bring colour and attract wildlife. When walking through a park in town this autumn, this species caught my eye with it's bright red fruit and the size of the plant -- reaching over 1.8 m tall. I am eager to return in the late spring to see it's beautiful blossoms emerge. However, the garden staff on site mentioned she would be eager to replace it with a more well-behaved species, even though it fits quite nicely into the current landscape.

Botanical Information

FamilyRosaceae
GenusRosa
Speciesvirginiana
CategoryWoody
TypeShrub (deciduous)
OriginNative to the coast of North America. Distribution runs from Southern Ontario to Newfoundland, south to North Carolina and Virginia, west to Missouri, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Ethnobotanical Uses
Disclaimer		Medicinal uses of the plant have been recorded over the years. To treat worms in children, a bouillon of the roots would be used in a bath. To treat bleeding cuts on the feet or sore eyes, an infusion of the roots as a wash was used. The fruit is a great source of vitamin A, C and E, as well as a good source of essential fatty acids, which is not usual of a fruit. It is being tested with reducing or reversing cancer growth and incidence. It is important to note that the thin layer of hairs around the seeds can cause mouth and digestive tract irritation, so it is must be consumed carefully. The seed can be ground into a powder and added to foods as a supplement. Rose hips are also commonly used to make jams, and steeped to make rose hip tea.

Details

USDA Hardiness Zone3 - 8
USDA Hardiness Ref.
Canadian Hardiness Zone3
Canada Hardiness Ref.
RHS Hardiness ZoneH7
RHS Hardiness Ref.
Temperature (°C)-29
Temperature (°F)-20
Height1.2 - 1.8 m
Spread1.5 m
GrowthFast
Flowering PeriodJune, July, August

Description and Growing Information

General DescriptionSpecies of native shrub rose. Beautiful pale to bright pink flowers bloom in early summer, followed by ruby-red hips in autumn. Glossy green foliage turning to red in autumn. Very easy to grow. If it becomes overgrown it can be cut to the ground and will regrow quickly to an excellent form. Very attractive to wildlife.
ID CharacteristicNative erect, suckering shrub. Glossy dark green summer foliage that turns red in autumn. Single, pale to bright pink flowers blooming in early summer. Followed by ruby-red hips in autumn that last until winter. Stems covered in prickles. Very attractive to wildlife as a food source.
ShapeUpright shrub, forming dense thickets and hedge clusters. Erect, suckering stems. Rapid growth. Can be cut down completely and will regrow in an ideal form.
LandscapeAttractive native rose. Can be used as a barrier, low hedge, foundation planting, small group or for mass plantings. Very attractive to wildlife such as bees, butterflies, pollinators, small mammals, and song birds, therefore would be of great use in a native or pollinator garden. Due to it being easy to grow with attractive flowers, a cottage garden is recommended as well. Salt tolerance allows it to be used in coastal areas.
PropagationThe highest percentage of success by propagation can be accomplished by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or hardwood cuttings in autumn. For semi-ripe cuttings, pull away a small shoot from the main stem. Keep a small heel of bark at the base, which contains high levels of auxins to promote rooting. Over-winter in a shaded frame. Plant out in the late spring. For hardwood cuttings, select, in the autumn, a shoot about the size of a pencil that is 20-25 cm long. Plant in a sheltered location outdoors or in a cold frame. It can take 12 months to establish. Also, can simply divide suckers in their dormant season and plant them directly into their new permanent location. Propagation by seed often takes two years to germinate. One way to reduce time is to scarify the seed. Place it into damp peat for 2-3 weeks at 27- 32 °c. Then, for the next 4 months, keep at 3°c, where it should begin to germinate. Put seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle. Plant in cold frame, then plant in late spring if plants are less than 25 cm tall, otherwise plant out in summer into permanent location.
CultivationFull sun (6 hours or more) to partial shade (2-6 hours). Can be grown in clay to sandy loam. Moist, but well-drained soil. Soil pH slightly acidic.
PestsCommon problems are rose rust, blackspot, powdery mildew, aphids, thrips and mites. Modern hybrids seem to contract less diseases and pests compared to native species, however it does not seem that any are prone to pests and disease.
Notable SpecimensCan see two impressive specimens in Germain Gardens, at Germain Park, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Staff stated they have been growing there since the 1950’s.
HabitatGrows native in grasslands, woodlands, cliffs, ditches, thickets, swamps, streams and shores along Southeastern United States, Newfoundland and parts of Ontario.
Bark/Stem DescriptionErect, densely branched. Canes are green when immature, then turn red to purplish red (mature), glabrous. 1-3 cm thick. Infrastipular prickles are paired or single, usually curved. 4-10 mm. Pedicles are erect, slender to stout, 7-14 mm, glabrous.
Flower/Leaf Bud DescriptionOn the winter buds there are 3 or more scales, overlapping like shingles, one edge covered and one edge exposed. Reddish. 8-10 mm. Flower buds are fleshy, glabrous, and green. Stipitate-glandular. Sepals spreading, lanceolate. Opening into single flowers.
Leaf DescriptionAlternate, pinnately compound. 5-9 obovate to oblong-elliptic leaflets. 2.5-6 cm long. Base cuneate. Auricles flared 3-5 mm. Stipules 4-9 mm. Margins serrate. 10-18 teeth per side. Pinnate venation. Surfaces glabrous. Acute apex. Dark green.
Flower DescriptionInflorescences corymbs. Flowers are pink, single, fragrant, 5-8 cm. Hypanthium subglobose or depressed-globose. Glabrous. Stipitate-glandular. Neck absent. Sepals spreading, lanceolate. Flowers from June to early August. Attractive to many pollinators including bees, butterflies, birds.
Fruit DescriptionHips are red, subglobose, 8-12 mm x 9-13 mm. Fleshy, glabrous. Stipitate-glandular. Neck absent. Achene. Display in autumn, persistent for several months into winter.
Colour DescriptionDark green foliage in summer. Progressing to red in autumn. Pale pink to pink flowers blooming from June to August, followed by ruby-red hips in autumn, progressing well into winter. Bark is glabrous, green in immature stages, to red and purplish red with maturity. Deciduous shrub, not very attractive in winter once fruit is gone. By end of autumn, pests and diseases can leave the leaves looking rather disturbed.
Texture DescriptionAs growth continues, it becomes more densely branched. Coarse textured leaves, very hardy. Loses foliage in the winter.

Photographs