multiflora rose (Invasive Plants of Maryland)

multiflora rose

Rosa multiflora

Description ¹⁰

More info for the term: shrub

Multiflora rose is a perennial shrub that forms dense, impenetrable "clumps" of vegetation. Isolated plants can produce clumps up to 33 feet (10 m) in diameter [26,63]. Bushes grow to a height of 6 to 10 feet (1.8-3 m) and occasionally 15 feet (4.6 m) [26]. Stems (canes) are few to many, originating from the base, much branched, and erect and arching to more or less trailing or sprawling. Canes grow to 13 feet (4 m) long and are armed with stout recurved prickles [34,70]. Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, and 3 to 4 inches (8-11 cm) long with 5 to 11 (usually 7 or 9), 1 to 1.6 inch (2.5-4 cm) long leaflets [26,33,70]. Flowers are 0.5 to 0.75 inches (1.3-1.9 cm) across and number 25 to 100 or more in long or pointed panicles. Fruits (hips) are globular to ovoid, 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) or less in diameter [26]. Seeds are angular achenes [40].

The preceding description provides characteristics of multiflora rose that may be relevant to fire ecology and is not meant to be used for identification. Keys for identifying multiflora rose are available in various floras (e.g. [33,70]). Photos and descriptions of multiflora rose are also available online from Missouri Department of Conservation and the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council. Check with the native plant society or cooperative extension service in your state for more information.

The biology and ecology of multiflora rose are not well-studied. More research is needed to better understand its life-history and other biological traits, habitat requirements and limitations, and interactions with native North American flora and fauna.

Status ¹¹

Multiflora rose is designated as a "noxious weed" in Wisconsin, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, a "secondary noxious weed" in Iowa, and as a "county-level noxious weed" in Kansas. It is a "regulated plant" in Ohio, a "regulated non-native plant species" in South Dakota. Maryland and Wisconsin list it as a "nuisance weed" [80,84]. Multiflora rose is listed by the state of Vermont as a Category II plant: "exotic plant species considered to have the potential to displace native plants either on a localized or widespread scale" [85]. For more information see Invaders Database or Plants Database.

Prevention and control ¹²

Do not plant multiflora rose. Effective control of multiflora is possible using chemical, manual, or mechanical means or, preferably, a combination. Frequent, repeated cutting or mowing at the rate of three to six times per growing season, for two to four years, has been shown to be very effective. In high-quality natural communities, cutting of individual plants may be preferable to minimize habitat disturbance. Because of the long-lived stores of seed in the soil, follow-up treatments are necessary. Application of a systemic glyphosate-based herbicide to freshly cut stems, to regrowth, or to foliage is very effective, especially if done late in the growing season. Two naturally-occurring controls affect multiflora rose to some extent. A native virus (rose-rosette disease) spread by a tiny native mite impedes stem growth and a non-native seed-infesting wasp, the European rose chalcid, causes damage to the seeds.

Description ¹³

Shrubs climbing. Branchlets terete, usually glabrous; prickles paired below leaves, sometimes sparsely scattered, curved, to 6 mm, stout, flat, gradually tapering to broad base. Leaves including petiole 5–10 cm; stipules pectinate, mostly adnate to petiole, margin glandular-pubescent or not; rachis and petiole pubescent or glabrous, glandular-pubescent, shortly prickly; leaflets (3–)5–9, obovate, oblong, or ovate, 1–5 × 0.8–2.8 cm, abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous, base rounded or cuneate, margin simply serrate, apex acute or rounded-obtuse. Flowers numerous in corymb, 1.5–4 cm in diam.; pedicel 1.5–2.5 cm, puberulous, glabrous, or glandular-pubescent, margin sometimes pectinate; bracts at base of pedicel, small. Hypanthium subglobose, glabrous. Sepals 5, deciduous, lanceolate, abaxially glabrous, adaxially pubescent, margin entire or with 2 linear lobes at middle. Petals 5, semi-double or double, white, pinkish, or pink (in some cultivated plants), fragrant, obovate, base cuneate, apex emarginate. Styles connate in column, exserted, slightly longer than stamens, glabrous. Hip red-brown or purple-brown, subglobose, 6–8 mm in diam., glabrous, shiny. 2n = 14*, 21.

Sources and Credits

(c) wplynn, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/warrenlynn/14329451252/
(c) mbadanich, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/photos/JCS-Rosa-multiflora-66629.JPG
(c) Alpsdake, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Rosa_multiflora_in_Mount_Ibuki_f2_2011-06-26.jpg
(c) Midori, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Rosa_multiflora_shrub.jpg
(c) Wiki hensyuusya, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/%E3%83%84%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B7%E3%82%A4%E3%83%90%E3%83%A9.JPG
(c) Sakurai Midori, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Rosa_multiflora_buds.jpg
(c) Jenny Glenn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jenny Glenn
(c) Amy Lorenz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Amy Lorenz
Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24638626
Adapted by Kate Wagner from a work by Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24265670
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22733913
(c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/4968632

More Info

Range Map

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multiflora rose

Description 10

Status 11

Prevention and control 12

Description 13