Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery
Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery
Rosa carolina
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Carolina rose is a native shrub rose that spreads into a thicket, which makes it a hedgerow or bank planting rather than a specimen for a bed. Rosa carolina grows anywhere from 1 to 5 feet tall and wide depending on conditions, in full sun, hardy from Zone 4 through Zone 9.
Fragrant single pink flowers with gold centers open in early summer, followed by red hips that hold into winter and feed songbirds. Bees come to the open flowers for pollen through the bloom, and the foliage feeds several hairstreak and fritillary caterpillars.
Fall foliage turns yellow through red, and the low arching canes hold their shape through the cold months.
Carolina rose adapts to poor, dry, sandy, and rocky ground, which is why it grows wild along roadsides and field edges across most of the eastern half of the country. It needs no spray program. The canes carry slender prickles and it spreads to fill space, so give it a site where running is welcome.
Height 1'- 5' Spread 1'- 5'
USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9
Lowest Temperatures -30°F to -20°F
Full sun - more than 6 hours of direct sun per day
Various species of Hairstreaks and Fritillaries
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV
Reblooming
