Specimen record
Multiflora Rose
Rosa multiflora
Conservation note
Highly invasive — collection and removal strongly encouraged. Produces up to 500,000 seeds per plant annually.
Invasive species
This plant is non-native and invasive. Collection is encouraged. Highly invasive — collection and removal strongly encouraged. Produces up to 500,000 seeds per plant annually.
Description
An extremely aggressive invasive shrub introduced from East Asia for erosion control and highway median plantings. It forms impenetrable arching thickets along woodland edges and roadsides, smothering native vegetation. A single plant can produce up to 500,000 seeds per year, which are dispersed by birds. It is now one of the most problematic invasive plants in the northeastern United States.
Identification tips
- 1Clusters of many small white flowers (1.5–2 cm) with 5 petals in June
- 2Recurved thorns on arching canes
- 3Fringed stipules (comb-like projections) at the base of each leaf stalk
- 4Pinnately compound leaves with 7–9 small, serrated leaflets
- 5Small red rose hips in clusters persisting through winter
Specimen & preservation notes
Collect freely — removal is beneficial. Press a flowering branch with thorns visible and stipules intact (these fringed stipules are the key diagnostic feature). Wear heavy gloves. Press rose hips separately in autumn.
Habitats
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
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| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Guide window is wider than observed records.
Flowering records: 398 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 1721 observations within 25 km