Rosa gymnocarpa (Dwarf Rose)

Incredibly shade tolerant, Rosa gymnocarpa (Dwarf Rose) is a small deciduous shrub with slender stems studded with soft, bristly, straight prickles. Its branches are clothed with pinnately divided leaves with 5-7 leaflets. In mid to late spring, the shrub is covered with fragrant, flat and open-faced flowers adorned with five pale pink petals. Borne usually singly at the ends of the branches, they are followed by showy, bright red rose-hips that are high in vitamin C and are also a source of calcium, phosphorous, and iron. If left on the shrub, they will persist throughout the winter to the delight of hungry birds and small mammals. Long-lived, Dwarf Rose is rhizomatous and has a shallow root structure. It sprouts from the root crown and rhizomes, but does not spread as fully as other wild roses, remaining a slender shrub. Dwarf rose occurs predominantly in the low-shrub layer of moist, shaded forests of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. An important year-round food source for mammals, birds, and insects, Dwarf Rose is most charming in a woodland garden.

• Usually grows up to 3 ft. tall (90 cm), heights of 3 to 9 ft. (90-270 cm) have been reported.
• Best grown in part shade to full shade, in moist to dry, well-drained soils. Will grow in full sunlight but has a higher survival rate in the shade. Rosa gymnocarpa tolerates clay soils.
• Perfect for woodland gardens, wildlife gardens, or bird gardens.
• Prune after flowering if needed.
• Attractive to pollinating insects, butterflies and birds.
• Do not remove spent flowers if you want to enjoy a beautiful crop of orange-red hips in fall and winter.
• Propagate by seed. Seeds may take two years to germinate. The root crown and rhizomes may be divided.
• Native to western North America.