Multiflora rose
(Rosa multiflora)
General description:
Thorny, thicket-forming shrub with wide, arching or climbing canes and stiff, curved thorns. Can reach 10-15’ tall and 9-13’ wide. Typically more spreading than erect.
Ecological threat:
- Multiflora rose invades open woodlands, forest edges, old fields, roadsides, savannas, and prairies. It can tolerate a wide range of soil and environmental conditions and full or partial sun. It does best on well-drained soils.
- It is extremely prolific and can form impenetrable thickets that exclude native plants species.
- Introduced from Japan in 1886 as rootstock for cultivated roses, it has been planted widely to curb soil erosion, as a living fence, and as a source of food and cover for wildlife.
- Produces up to 500,000 seeds per year. Seeds remain viable in the soil for 10 to 20 years.
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