Rosa carolina (Carolina Rose)

Native shrub rose • Fragrant pink blooms • Wildlife habitat

Rosa carolina is a hardy, low-growing native rose with soft pink flowers in late spring and bright red hips that feed birds through winter. A tough shrub for sunny native landscapes, wildlife gardens, meadows, and naturalistic borders.

 Light

• Full sun to part sun
  
  

• Best bloom in full sun
  
  

• Tolerates light shade
  
  

• Avoid deep shade
  
  

 Water

• Average moisture
  
  

• Drought tolerant once established
  
  

• Water deeply until well-rooted
  
  

• Avoid constantly wet soils
  
  

 Soil

• Clay, loam, or sandy soils
  
  

• Prefers well-drained conditions
  
  

• Tolerates poor native soils
  
  

• Avoid heavy fertilizer
  
  

 Hardiness

• USDA Zones 3–9
  
  

• Heat tolerant
  
  

• Very winter hardy
  
  

Blooming

• Late spring to early summer
  
  

• Occasional reblooming
  
  

• Bees and native insects frequent blooms
  
  

• Bright red hips provide winter interest
  
  

Growth Habit

• 2–4 ft tall
  
  

• Low, suckering stems
  
  

• Slowly spreading
  
  

• Forms naturalistic thickets in time
  
  

• Excellent wildlife cover
  
  

🚫 Expectations

This is not a hybrid tea rose.
This is a tough native shrub:

• simpler flowers
  
  

• natural shape
  
  

• wildlife value is the star
  
  

 Planting Notes

Depth: plant at soil level
Spacing: 3–6 ft depending on spread preference

Cut back only lightly each winter to maintain shape.

 Best Landscape Uses

• Native shrub borders
  
  

• Wildlife gardens
  
  

• Hedgerows
  
  

• Naturalistic screens
  
  

• Pollinator gardens
  
  

• Meadow borders
  
  

• Edges of woodland
  
  

Companion Plants

Pairs beautifully with:

• Little bluestem
  
  

• Black-eyed Susan
  
  

• Butterfly weed
  
  

• Coreopsis
  
  

• Joe Pye Weed
  
  

• Carolina shrubs and understory natives
  
  

Native Value

High wildlife value:

• pollinators at bloom
  
  

• birds and small mammals eat hips
  
  

• dense cover provides habitat
  
  

• native rose supports native insects
  
  

⚠ Common Problems

Blackspot

Much less than nonnative roses
(more air and sun = less issue)

Suckering

Normal and beneficial for habitat
Plant accordingly

Poor bloom

Needs more sun