Prairie Rose

Plant Info

Also known as:	Wild Rose
Scientific name:	Rosa arkansana
Family:	Rose (Rosaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun to part shade; fields, prairies, along roads, edges of woods
Bloom season:	late spring, early summer
Plant height:	6 to 40 inches
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Rice Creek Trail Corridor

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Flowers are about 2 inches across, 5 petals with many yellow stamen surrounding a yellow center. The petal color ranges from pale pink to deep rose pink but is occasionally white. There are usually 3 or more flowers on a stem.

Leaves and stem:

Leaves are compound in groups of 9 or 11. Leaflets are oval with sharp teeth all around the edges except near the base, to 1½ inches long and ¾ inch wide. The leaf stems and flower stalks are smooth but the main stem is covered in reddish thorns of unequal size.

Notes:

According to the DNR, there are 4 common species of native rose in Minnesota. They are all pretty similar and can be hard to tell apart. The distinguishing features of Prairie Rose are the number of leaflets (9 or 11, most others are 7 or less) and the irregular thorns on the stem. Prairie Rose is actually classified as a shrub. It is usually not more than a foot tall and tends to sprawl along the ground some, but can grow more bush-like to 3 feet tall.

More photos

• full length of plant, about 1 foot tall
• a young Prairie Rose plant, about 6 inches tall
• a bushier plant, about 2 feet tall

Photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN June 2006 and June 2007

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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