This shrub is a gorgeous wildlife magnet. Songbirds, quail, butterflies, small mammals, deer--you can see all of them visiting the climbing prairie rose at some point throughout the year. Honeybees and bumblebees frequently visit the showy, fragrant flowers that fade from pink to white giving a multi-hued display.
If you're mindful of the thorns, you can use this as a cut flower. Later in the year, birds are attracted to the red rose hips and the foliage turns deep red/purple.
Climbing prairie rose has a little more natural resistance to disease than many hybrid roses more commonly sold. This is our only dioecious rose species. Male and female flowers are identical and both produce pollen, but the pollen from female flowers is sterile. Look for rose hips in the fall/winter to determine which is which (female plants will have the hip fruits).
Uses: wildlife, bees, butterflies, cut flowers, hedge/barrier, fall color, fragrant flowers
Bloom time: May to June
Height: 3 to 5 feet
Space: 4 to 6 feet
Moisture: Average
Sun: Full sun to light shade
Seed: We usually have successful germination when we sow the seed outdoors by mid-January. Some sources indicate the seed can take two years to germinate, so if it doesn't germinate the first year, don't give up.
- ~200 seeds per packet
- 1 per 100 to 200 square feet
- 3,125 seeds per ounce
