Rosa palustris Marshall

Swamp Rose

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Swamp Rose in a native woody shrub in the Rose family (Rosaceae). It occurs primarily in the eastern half of the state from the Tennessee line to the Florida line. Typical habitats include swamps, creek banks, the margins of beaver ponds, and wet roadside ditches. Swamp Rose stems are erect or arching, and up to eight feet in length. The bark is reddish brown and glabrous. As with most roses the stems are armed with stout curved prickles. Leaves are petiolate, alternate, and pinnately compound with 5-7 lanceolate to elliptic leaflets. The leaflets are pale green and pubescent or glabrous on the lower surface and darker green and glabrous on the upper surface. The petiole and rachis are usually armed with prickles. Flowers are produced in 2-10 flowered corymbs. The buds are densely glandular pubescent. Fragrant five petaled pink flowers up to three inches across are produced from the ends of the branches. The flattened disk of styles in the center of each flower is pink instead of the clear yellow found in most of our other roses. Individual flowers last only a few days, but the blooming period extends over several months. The fruit is a red hip. Swamp Rose is not susceptible to many of the diseases and pests that attack hybrid roses, and is a hardy and easy to care for plant. It prefers a wet to moist soil in full sun. Plants can sometimes be purchased from native plant nurseries, and double flowered and unarmed forms exist. Plants can also be rooted from cuttings or grown from seed. Hips (fruit) should be collected after they turn red. The individual seed have a hard seed coat and require scarification (breaking of the seed coat). This can be done with a small knife or coarse sandpaper. Plant seed outdoors in pots and the seedling will emerge in the spring.—A. Diamond.

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Native OBL (NWPL)

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