Rosa palustris
swamp rose
Overview
Rosa palustris, swamp rose, is a deciduous shrub rose of eastern North American wetlands, forming an arching, suckering thicket 3-7 feet (0.9-2.1 m) tall and wide. The stems are armed with stout, curved, paired prickles and carry pinnately compound leaves of 5 to 9 finely toothed leaflets that turn dull red in fall. Single, five-petaled pink flowers, 2-2.5 inches (5-6 cm) across with a circle of yellow stamens, open in early to midsummer, somewhat later than most native roses, and carry a mild fragrance. Rounded red hips about 0.3 inch (8 mm) wide follow and persist into winter. The shrub grows in swamps, marshes, wet meadows, and along pond and stream edges from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to the Mississippi, on acidic, saturated soil. Unlike most roses, it grows in standing water and seasonally flooded ground where garden roses fail, but it needs steady moisture and acidic soil and declines on dry sites. Its thorny, suckering habit makes it too vigorous for tidy beds, suiting instead pond margins and rain gardens.
Native Range
Rosa palustris is native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia and Ontario south to Florida and west to Arkansas and Minnesota. It grows in swamps, marshes, wet meadows, and the margins of ponds, streams, and ditches on acidic, wet soil.Suggested Uses
Rosa palustris is used at pond and stream margins, in rain gardens, wetland restorations, and naturalized thickets on wet ground. Its flowers feed bees, and the hips and dense cover support birds and other wildlife.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height3' - 7'
Width/Spread3' - 6'
Bloom Information
Flowering runs from June into July, several weeks later than most North American wild roses. The single pink flowers open over three to four weeks, each lasting a day or two. Red hips follow and color through late summer, persisting on the bare canes into winter.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
green, dull red in fallGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 5-9 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow Rosa palustris in full sun to part shade in consistently moist to wet, acidic soil with a pH of about 5.0 to 6.5. It tolerates standing water, seasonal flooding, and heavy clay that would kill most roses, and it does not suit dry ground. Plants sucker freely into thickets, so allow room or plan to remove spreading shoots. Little feeding is needed in the rich soils it favors. Good air movement reduces the leaf-spot and rust that affect roses in humid, wet sites.Pruning
Prune in late winter while dormant, thinning the oldest canes to the base and removing dead or crowded wood. Cut back suckers to limit the spread of the thicket. Flowers form on older wood, so heavy annual cutting reduces bloom.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
winter