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Rosa multiflora

Common Name: multiflora rose

Family: Rosaceae

Common Synonyms: none

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3b-8b

Growth Habit: Shrub

Origin: Asia

FISC Category: -

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: Earliest Florida specimen vouchered in 1980

IFAS Assessment:

  • North: HIGH INVASION RISK
  • Central: HIGH INVASION RISK
  • South: HIGH INVASION RISK
Rosa multiflora
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Description

Shrub with stems 1-4 m long, erect at base, arching above, glabrous, prickles mostly paired, flattened, broad-based, curved. Leaves alternate, odd-pinnate, leaflets 5-11, 1-6 cm long, 0.8-3 cm wide, obovate to elliptic, serrate, base cuneate or rounded, glabrous above, pubescent below, conspicuous stipules pectinate-serrate. Inflorescence a pyramid corymb, with 25-100 or more flowers. Flowers 1-2 cm in diameter, petals 5, white to light pink, 5-12 mm long, stamens numerous. Fruit ellipsoidal, 6-9 mm long, red and fleshy when ripe.

Habitat

Fields, floodplains, forests.

Comments

Very invasive to the north of Florida. Multiflora rose grows rapidly forming dense, impenetrable thickets. Very invasive to the north of Florida.

Map of species distribution

Control Methods

  • Manual: Mechanical: Mowing/Cutting (for small initial populations or environmentally sensitive areas where herbicides cannot be used).
  • Chemical: Foliar (2% glyphosate, plus a 0.5% non-ionic surfactant [for large thickets where low risk to non-target species] or 2% triclopyr plus a 0.5% non-ionic surfactant [in areas where desirable grasses are present]), Cut Stump (25% glyphosate or 25% triclopyr), basal bark (25% triclopyr ester mixed with horticultural oil).
  • Biological: Rose Rosette Disease (RRD, an endemic disease in the Mid-western states and effects several species of roses) and Rose Seed Chalcid (Megastigmus aculeatus var. nigroflavus [Hoffmeyer]).

Control Notes

NA

References

Bryson, C. T. and M. S. DeFelice, editors. Weeds of the South. University of Georgia Press. Athens, Georgia. 2009. Southeast Exotic Plant Council. 2013. http://www.se-eppc.org/manual/multirose.html. Accessed on Decmeber 11, 2013.

NatureServe. 2013. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. Accessed on December 11, 2013.

Dave's Garden. 2013. PlantFiles: Buschel rose, Rosa multiflora. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/31975/. Accessed on December 10, 2013.

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