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Burnet Rose

Rosa spinosissima (ROH-sah spin-oh-SIS-ih-mah)

Family: Rosaceae Non-native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Burnet rose is a suckering, deciduous woody perennial in the rose (Rosacea) family and native from Europe to southwestern Siberia, northwest Iran and Algeria. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. The species epithet means “most spiny,” which describes the abundance of prickles of various sizes on the stem. The scotch rose was an early introduction into North America and can be found at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. Burnet rose can be grown in partial sun but flourishes in full sun. It can tolerate a variety of poor soils (chalk, clay, loam and sand) if well-drained. The plant is drought- and salt-tolerant. In full sun, the plant is disease-resistant, and the blooms can be fragrant. To encourage flowering, apply a balanced fertilizer and mulch in late winter or early spring. Late winter pruning is encouraged to prevent the suckers from spreading. Propagate with hardwood cuttings in autumn, or by division of the suckers in the dormant season. Propagation by seeds can take two years. Insects, butterflies and songbirds enjoy Burnet rose, making it a good candidate for planting in cottage, drought-tolerant, English and pollinator gardens. It is useful for mass planting as a border, low hedge, privacy screen or large-scale ground cover and, thanks to its suckering habit, will help prevent slope erosion. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems : Susceptible to black spot, rose rust and powdery mildews. It may also be affected by aphids, leafhoppers, glasshouse red spider mites, scale insects, caterpillars and rose leaf-rolling sawfly. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Rosa .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 68 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Native alternatives Clethra alnifolia Rosa palustris

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Rose
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet; 3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Mounding; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The compound leaves are shiny with 9-11 leaflets. Leaf venation is pinnate and margins are usually serrated. Leaflets are elliptic to ovate in shape.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
A profusion of single, creamy-white, fragrant blooms with 5 petals in late spring to early summer. Blooms are up to 2 inches across.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Blue
Fruit type
Achene; Aggregate
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The rosehips are round-blue-black fruits
Bark color
Dark Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The adult plant bark is thin and smooth
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The stem has many reddish-brown prickles of various sizes. Stem matures from reddish-green to reddish brown
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe to South Western Siberia and NW. Iran and Algeria
Wildlife value
Pollinating insects, butterflies, and birds
Attracts
Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Achene; Aggregate
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Slope/Bank
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; English Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Border; Hedge; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy
Garden tags
#salt tolerant #deciduous #drought tolerant #long bloom time #rose #low hedge #white flowers #summer flowers #groundcover #coastal plant #beetle friendly #pollinator plant #pollinator garden #erosion control #prickles #butterfly friendly #privacy #sandy soils tolerant
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Rose Aphid; Rose Pest Management Calendar; Pests of Rose
Problems
Spines/Thorns
Resistant to
Drought; Poor Soil; Salt
Propagation
Root Cutting; Seed; Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.