Rosa multiflora Thunb.

Multiflora Rose; Rambler Rose; Japanese Rose

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

Multiflora Rose is an introduced deciduous shrub or woody vine in the Rose family (Rosaceae). It is native to China, Japan, and Korea. Multiflora Rose occurs throughout Alabama. It grows along fence rows, in pastures, along forest edges, in urban woodlands, and on other disturbed sites. Plants are branched, clump-forming shrubs or vine-like with arching stems up to 40 feet in length. Branches are slender, green in color, armed with paired curved prickles, and glabrous. Older stems have reddish-brown bark. Stipules are pectinate and usually with stipitate-glandular margins. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, odd pinnate, with 5-9 leaflets. Leaflets are obovate to elliptic in outline with serrate margins. The upper surface is glabrous and dull green in color, the lower surface in lighter green in color and pubescent at least along the veins. Fragrant flowers are produced in 5-30 flowered panicles or corymbs. Individual flowers have 5 green sepals, and 5 white or pinkish petals (more in “double” cultivated forms). The fruit is a reddish-orange hip. Multiflora Rose was widely promoted by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service for hedgerows and wildlife plantings. It is now considered an invasive species in most of the central and eastern United States. It is listed as a Category 1 invasive species in Alabama by the Alabama Invasive Plant Council.—A. Diamond.

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Not Native

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