Digging deeperPlant Library

Other Names:  Saltspray Rose

Description:

A parent species of some of the finest roses, featuring very fragrant single pink flowers in summer and good fall color; upright, bushy and suckering habit, extremely hardy and resistant to disease; needs full sun and well-drained soil

Ornamental Features

Rugosa Rose features showy fragrant violet flowers with cherry red overtones and yellow eyes at the ends of the branches from late spring to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. The fruits are showy orange hips carried in abundance from early to late fall. It has dark green deciduous foliage which emerges burgundy in spring. The glossy oval compound leaves turn an outstanding scarlet in the fall. The spiny purple bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Rugosa Rose is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a high maintenance shrub that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering
• Disease
• Spiny

Rugosa Rose is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Rugosa Rose will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 7 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 25 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.