Rosa arkansana (Prairie Rose): Minnesota Wildflowers

Rosa arkansana (Prairie Rose)

Plant Info
Also known as:	Wild Rose
Genus:	Rosa
Family:	Rosaceae (Rose)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	part shade, sun; fields, prairies, along roads, edges of woods
Bloom season:	June - July
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 stamens 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.

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More photos

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

Comments

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

Posted by: Heather in Fergus Falls
on: 2010-06-11 12:04:51

There are thousands of them growing along side Aurdal River Road, just about 4 miles east of Fergus Falls. I stopped to get a closer look because I've driven that road hundreds of times and never noticed them before. I was surprised because they are very cute little flowers. This website was so easy to use I found out what they were in seconds!

Posted by: K. Chayka
on: 2010-06-11 16:32:53

Keep in mind there are 4 species of wild rose in MN all with similar flowers. You might have come across Rosa arkansana, or possibly Rosa blanda, which is even more common. Something you can check next time is the number of leaflets. R. blanda has 5-9, mostly 7. R. arkansana has 9 or 11 leaflets. R. blanda tends to grow over 3 feet tall, as well.

Posted by: Randy in Ft. Snelling State Park
on: 2011-07-30 18:27:52

There are several big clumps of wild roses on the banks of the Minnesota River in Ft. Snelling State Park. They are actually clinging to the river bank and reaching down to the water. The flowers have five petals and the plants are over 3 feet tall. They make a beautiful foreground attraction to a photo of the river.

Posted by: K. Chayka
on: 2011-07-30 19:32:51

Randy, those may actually be Rosa blanda, which I often see in roadside ditches and near shorelines. We'll get all the wild roses up here eventually. :)