Rosa palustris (Swamp Rose)

Rosa palustris

Rosa palustris Marsh.

Rosa floridana Rydb.

Rosa lancifolia Small

Rosa palustris Marsh. var. dasistema (Raf.) Palmer & Steyerm.

Swamp Rose

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Rosales	Rose family and eight others
Family	Rosaceae	Includes apples, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, almonds, roses, meadowsweets, photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns; many others
Genus	Rosa	From a Latin name so old its meaning is no longer known
Species	palustris	From Latin palustre, “growing in marshes”

About plant names...

Swamp rose is a North American native.

Identification: These shrubs are 6-8' (1.8-2.4 m) tall, with multiple, thorny stems. Thorns are widely spaced, single or sometimes paired, and hooked, curving backward. They have a preference for wet areas. Leaves are dark green, 1¼-2½" (3.2-6.3 cm) long, roughly oval with pointed tips, with finely serrated edges. They occur in odd pinnate groups, most commonly with 7 leaflets, sometimes with 5, rarely with 9. Flowers are 1½-2" (3.8-5.8 cm) in diameter, solitary (or in small clusters), light to dark pink, with five petals and strong rose fragrance. They appear from June to July. Fruits are red, less than ½" (1.3 cm) around.

See our wild rose comparison guide for further information.

Online References:

Rosa palustris on Carolina Nature, from Will Cook

Rosa palustris at the U.S. Forest Service Celebrating Wildflowers site

Rosa palustris at Illinois Wildflowers

Rosa palustris at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Rosa palustris at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Rosa palustris on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

Rosa palustris at the Missouri Botanical Garden

References:

Newcomb, Lawrence, Morrison, Gordon (Illus.), Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Little, Brown and Company, 1977, p. 316

Peterson, Roger Tory, McKenny, Margaret, Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North Central North America, Houghton Mifflin, 1968, p. 256

9/25/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, MA
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm) ID is uncertain

9/25/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, MA
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.2 cm) ID is uncertain

Rosa palustris description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 2 Oct 2013.

9/25/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, MA
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm) ID is uncertain

9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia Naitonal Park, Bar Harbor, ME
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 28 cm)

9/25/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, MA
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm) ID is uncertain

9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia Naitonal Park, Bar Harbor, ME
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

9/30/2013 · Moose Point State Park, Searsport, ME
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

9/30/2013 · Moose Point State Park, Searsport, ME
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 19 cm)

Range: Zones 4-9:

About this map...