Rosa palustris Marshall

Swamp rose

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:

Www.carolinanature.com

The U.S. Forest Service Celebrating Wildflowers site

Illinois Wildflowers

The University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

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: Wildflowers—Northeastern and North Central North America, Houghton Mifflin, 1968, p. 256

9/25/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 5 × 4" (12 × 10 cm) ID is uncertain

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

Rosa palustris description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.

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

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

9/25/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 5 × 4½" (13 × 11 cm) ID is uncertain

9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia Naitonal Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 8 × 6" (20 × 14 cm)

9/30/2013 · Moose Point State Park, Searsport, Maine
≈ 6 × 5" (14 × 12 cm)

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

Range: Zones 4-9:

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