smooth rose

(Rosa blanda var. blanda)

Conservation Status
smooth rose
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Smooth rose is a 36 to 48 tall, erect, perennial shrub that rises on a single stem or a tight cluster of 2 to 4 stems from a root crown and rhizomes. It often forms loose colonies.

The stems are erect, slender, and weak. First-year stems and branches are reddish-brown to dark purplish-brown and have no prickles. As they age they become gray and rough and the lower portion of the stem develops slender, straight prickles. The upper portion of the plant remains relatively free of prickles.

The leaves are alternate, deciduous, 2 to 3½ long, and 2 to 2¾ wide. They are on hairy, to13 16 long leaf stalks. At the base of the leaf stalk is a pair of leaf-like stipules that are fused to the base of the leaf stalk. The stipules are untoothed or may have a few glandular teeth above the middle. The leaves are pinnately divided into usually 7, sometimes 5 or 9, leaflets.

The leaflets are elliptical to inversely egg-shaped, 1 to 19 16 long, and to wide. They are angled or rounded at the base and blunt or rounded at the tip. The upper surface is dark green, dull, and hairless. The lower surface is paler green and softly hairy. The margins are singly toothed with 10 to 17 sharp, forward-pointing teeth per side. The lower quarter of the margin is untoothed.

The inflorescence is a solitary flower or cluster of 2 to 4 flowers at the ends of lateral branches of woody, previous year’s stems.

The flowers are 1½ to 2 in diameter. They are on hairless, to ¾ long stalks. There are 5 green, to 1 long, 1 16 to wide sepals; 5 pink or reddish, ¾ to 13 16 long and wide petals; and numerous stamens and styles. The hypanthium is hairless.

The fruit is an achene surrounded by the mature floral tube (hip). The hip is red, nearly spherical to egg-shaped, berry-like, and to ¾ in diameter. It matures in early August to mid-September.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

36 to 48

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Pink or reddish

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
  Other roses have prickles throughout, including on new growth.  
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Dry to moderate moisture. Prairies, open woodlands, forest margins, thickets, dunes, fencerows, roadsides, railroads. Full to partial sun.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

Early June to Late June

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

Spiny rose gall wasp (Diplolepis bicolor) produces a large, spine-covered gall that may completely engulf a leaflet.

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 24, 28, 29, 30.

 
  7/5/2022      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Rosanae  
 

Order

Rosales (roses, elms, figs, and allies)  
 

Family

Rosaceae (rose)  
  Subfamily Rosoideae (brambles, roses, strawberries, and allies)  
  Tribe Roseae (rose)  
 

Genus

Rosa (rose)  
  Subgenus Rosa  
  Section Rosa  
  Species Rosa blanda (smooth rose)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Rosa blanda var. carpohispida

Rosa rousseauiorum

Rosa subblanda

Rosa williamsii

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

meadow rose

prairie rose

smooth rose

smooth wild rose

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Achene

A dry, one-chambered, single-seeded seed capsule, formed from a single carpel, with the seed attached to the membranous outer layer (wall) only by the seed stalk; the wall, formed entirely from the wall of the superior ovary, does not split open at maturity, but relies on decay or predation to release the contents.

 

Hypanthium

A cup-like tubular structure of a flower formed from the fused bases of sepals, petals, and stamens, that surrounds the pistil. Its presence is diagnostic of many families, including Rose, Gooseberry, and Pea.

 

Pinnate

On a compound leaf, having the leaflets arranged on opposite sides of a common stalk. On a bryophyte, having branches evenly arranged on opposite sides of a stem.

 

Sepal

An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.

 

Stipule

A small, leaf-like, scale-like, glandular, or rarely spiny appendage found at the base of a leaf stalk, usually occurring in pairs and usually dropping soon.

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Luciearl

 
 

Don’t remember seeing this with so much color in previous years. Found in ditch.

  smooth rose  
           
    smooth rose      
 

Nancy Falkum

 
 

Hairy Puccoon, Rose, and June Grass

 
    hairy puccoon      
 

Dan W. Andree

 
 

Wild Roses...

While out in the woods I noticed a sweet smell and came upon some wild roses. They were in a nice setting with some ferns etc.

  smooth rose  
           
    smooth rose   smooth rose  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
    smooth rose   smooth rose  
           
 

Flower

 
    smooth rose   smooth rose  
           
    smooth rose      
           
 

Leaves

 
    smooth rose   smooth rose  
           
    smooth rose      
           
 

Stem

 
    smooth rose   smooth rose  
           
 

Infructescence

 
    smooth rose      
           
 

Fruit

 
    smooth rose      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Rosa blanda EARLY WILD ROSE
Frank Mayfield
  Rosa blanda EARLY WILD ROSE  

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
     
     
     

 

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Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this plant.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Luciearl
6/28/2022

Location: Fairview Twp.

Don’t remember seeing this with so much color in previous years. Found in ditch.

smooth rose  
  Luciearl
6/18/2020

Location: Fairview Twp, Cass County

smooth rose  
  Dan W. Andree
Spring 2019

Location: rural Norman Co., Mn.

While out in the woods I noticed a sweet smell and came upon some wild roses. They were in a nice setting with some ferns etc.

smooth rose  
  Nancy Falkum
6/10/2017

Location: Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Weaver Dunes Unit

Hairy Puccoon, Rose, and June Grass

birdfoot violet  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

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