Species, Wild Rose, Prairie Rose

Rosa setigera is a native rose in central KY. It is beautiful, trouble-free and easy to cultivate as a climbing rose.

Called the Climbing Wild Rose or Climbing Prairie Rose, Rosa setigera is a woody vine that is 4-12' long. It's native to
Eastern ...Read Moreand Central North America. In open areas, the Climbing Wild Rose ascends about 3' and arches downward to reroot in the ground, while in more wooded areas it tends to climb over neighboring vegetation. The prickles along the woody stems are short, stout, and slightly curved. They are not particularly numerous.

The flowers appear in small clusters from early to mid-summer and bloom for about a month. Each flower is about 2½-3" across. The flowers have a typical rose fragrance. Later in the summer, bright red rose hips appear. The root system consists of a taproot that branches occasionally, and is usually quite deep. This vine reproduces by seed or suckering of the stems.

The preference is full or partial sun and loamy, fertile soil. This plant prefers soil that is evenly moist or mesic – it dislikes wet conditions with standing water or droughty conditions.

The rose hips are eaten by various small mammals and birds, including the Greater Prairie Chicken, while the stems and foliage are browsed by the Cottontail Rabbit and White-Tailed Deer (particularly the latter), notwithstanding the occasional prickles.

This native rose can be distinguished from the non-native, invasive Rosa multiflora (Multiflora Rose) by the lack of comb-like hairs on the stipules at the base of its compound leaves. It also differs from Multiflora Rose by having larger flowers that are more pink and by having fewer leaflets per compound leaf.