Rosa carolina (Carolina Rose)

Description

This 1′-3′ tall native shrub has fragrant pink flowers and spreads by underground stolons. On clay soils, it forms taller tighter colonies (great for birds nests). On sandy soils, it usually forms loose colonies that are less than 2′ tall. Native bees harvest nesting material from this species as well.   In May, bees are drawn to the fragrant pink flowers. These mature into vitamin-rich, red hips. If not eaten by people or birds, the hips remain attractive until the following Spring. Leaves turn beautiful color in the fall. Plant in full sun or part shade.  It is exceedingly drought-tolerant thriving on both hard clay and loose sand. It is adaptable to pH thriving in acid and circumneutral soil. I have grown this species for years under overhead irrigation and have never needed to spray it. Deer will browse roses, if you have a deer problem, interplant it with Schizachrium scoparium var. stoloniferum (Creeping Little Bluestem), Tridens flavus (Purpletop), Pycnanthemum pycnanthemoides (Southern Mountain-mint) or Hyptis verticillatus (John Charles) to protect it from browsing. We propagated our plants from a native population on the heavily eroded clay hills of my Dad and Stepmom’s place in Bibb County, GA.

We are in the process of growing a new crop of Carolina Roses. Order yours now and we will notify you when they are ready for shipment. Orders will be filled in order of receipt. Thank you for your patience.