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.
Full sun to part sun
Best bloom in full sun
Tolerates light shade
Avoid deep shade
Average moisture
Drought tolerant once established
Water deeply until well-rooted
Avoid constantly wet soils
Clay, loam, or sandy soils
Prefers well-drained conditions
Tolerates poor native soils
Avoid heavy fertilizer
USDA Zones 3–9
Heat tolerant
Very winter hardy
Late spring to early summer
Occasional reblooming
Bees and native insects frequent blooms
Bright red hips provide winter interest
2–4 ft tall
Low, suckering stems
Slowly spreading
Forms naturalistic thickets in time
Excellent wildlife cover
This is not a hybrid tea rose.
This is a tough native shrub:
simpler flowers
natural shape
wildlife value is the star
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
Pairs beautifully with:
Little bluestem
Black-eyed Susan
Butterfly weed
Coreopsis
Joe Pye Weed
Carolina shrubs and understory natives
High wildlife value:
pollinators at bloom
birds and small mammals eat hips
dense cover provides habitat
native rose supports native insects
Much less than nonnative roses
(more air and sun = less issue)
Normal and beneficial for habitat
Plant accordingly
Needs more sun