Can Wild Rose Be Used As a Hedge?

Multiflora Rose

• Multiflora rose, introduced as rootstock for ornamental roses in 1866, grows throughout the U.S. with a few exceptions, such as the Rocky Mountains. This thorny, perennial shrub has arching stems and clusters of showy, white-to-pink flowers that appear in May or June. Small, red fruits remain on the plant through the winter months. Multiflora rose, used extensively by landscapers for hedges, can become extremely invasive. Do not attempt to grow this wild rose as a hedge because it quickly excludes native plant species.

Rose-Rosette Disease

• Spread by a tiny mite and an infected wasp, rose-rosette disease (a native viral pathogen) has the potential to wipe out the multiflora rose. Home gardeners and the nursery industry also regard rose-rosette disease as a threat to many ornamental rose species and cultivars. The symptoms of the disease include elongation of new shoots, distorted/stunted leaves, excessive thorniness and deformed flowers. Some diseased plants exhibit few of the symptoms, making diagnosis difficult. An infected plant may die within two years. Take out all suspected roses in your garden and destroy them immediately by burning, if allowed in your area, or by bagging and removing.

North American Native Roses

• Two of the best known species roses, the Carolina rose and the swamp rose, have many characteristics enjoyed by rose lovers, especially their fragrant blooms. The Carolina rose grows in dry, rocky, sandy or clay soils to a height of 3 feet. Plant it as a low, informal hedge. The swamp rose, a Midwest native, tolerates wet soils and part shade. This adaptable rose has arching, deep-red canes and grows to 4 or 5 feet. The Virginia rose, an upright shrub that grows 4 to 6 feet high, succeeds in moist soils and heavy clay. The Illinois or prairie rose has long-blooming, fragrant flowers and dark-red foliage in fall. Its long, reddish canes grow to a height of 10 feet and look impressive grown in a large colony as an informal hedge.

Rosa Rugosa

• The tough rugosa rose, native to the Far East, grows under a variety of conditions, including salt spray and bitter cold. A thorny shrub with deeply-veined leaves, the rugosa displays apple-shaped hips in late summer. It blooms repeatedly with fragrant flowers of red or white. The shrub resembles the lilac in form and habit, growing to a height of 4 feet. Deer usually avoid this species. These roses make a striking background in a perennial garden. Plant several as an informal hedge.