Rosa spinosissima
burnet rose
Overview
Rosa spinosissima is a low, suckering deciduous shrub in the family Rosaceae, usually 12-36 inches (30-90 cm) tall and spreading widely by underground runners to form dense, thicket-like colonies. The stems are densely armed with straight prickles of mixed sizes mingled with slender bristles. Small pinnate leaves carry seven to eleven rounded, toothed leaflets 0.2-0.8 inch (5-20 mm) long that turn dark in autumn. From May to June it bears solitary, lightly scented flowers 1.5-2 inches (4-5 cm) across, usually creamy white but sometimes pale pink, each with five petals and a boss of yellow stamens. These are followed by rounded hips 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) wide that ripen from red to a deep maroon-black. The species grows on coastal sand dunes, limestone grassland, heath, and rocky slopes across Europe and western Asia, on sharply drained, often calcareous or sandy soils. It withstands wind, salt, and drought once established but suckers freely and can spread into a broad, prickly patch, and its single early flowers last only a few weeks.
Native Range
Native to Europe and western Asia, from Iceland and Scandinavia south to the Mediterranean and east to Siberia and the Caucasus. It grows on coastal dunes, limestone and chalk grassland, heath, and rocky slopes, mostly on sharply drained sandy or calcareous soils.Suggested Uses
Grown in coastal and gravel gardens, on dry banks, and in wildlife and native hedging where its dense, prickly, suckering growth forms a low barrier. The early flowers feed bees and the dark hips feed birds, and it helps bind sand and loose slopes. It suits naturalistic and seaside plantings rather than tidy formal beds.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'
Width/Spread3' - 6'
Bloom Information
Flowering is early and brief, mostly in May and June, with single five-petalled creamy-white flowers borne along the prickly stems. The lightly scented blooms are visited by bees and hoverflies and last only two to three weeks. Dark maroon-black hips follow and ripen from late summer, persisting into autumn.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
dark greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 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