Rosa virginiana
One of our native roses, Rosa virginiana is a lovely low-growing shrub that will quickly spread to fill a space. Drought and salt tolerant, this rose species thrives along roadsides, beach dunes, and parking lot plantings.
 
The dark green foliage is attractive, but the large showy flowers are the real show, and they are followed by large red rosehips in the fall, which are a delightful food source for birds and small mammals.
 
Carolina Rose has a classic rose scent and is highly attractive to native bees due to it’s easily accessible pollen. As with other roses, this plant has thorns, so caution is warranted when handling.
 
The thicket-like habit makes this an excellent planting for the back of borders, alongside a road or in a hellstrip, and it would be easy to plant a patch along a wooded edge for the local deer to graze, ideally keeping them away from your other garden prizes.
 
Source: grown from seed collected in New Hampshire. Started by New Hampshire State Forest Nursery.