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Rosa carolina

L.

Carolina Rose

G5Secure Found in 35 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.154248
Element CodePDROS1J070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRosales
FamilyRosaceae
GenusRosa
Other Common Names
Carolina rose (EN) Rosier de Caroline (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-19
Change Date2001-01-01
Edition Date2024-08-19
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Rosa carolina is a subshrub in a variety of open habitats occurring in eastern and central North America from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, Canada south to Florida west to Texas, United States, and northeastern Mexico with three subspecies. Little is known about threats or trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Rosa carolina occurs in eastern and central North America from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, Canada south to Florida west to Texas, United States, and northeastern Mexico (FNA 2014). Range extent was estimated to be approximately 5.5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). See individual entries for distribution details about the subspecies, two of which occur in North America north of Mexico.
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are thousands of occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, logging, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Rosa carolina grows in pastures, woodlands, dry wooded slopes, openings in woodlands, dry forests and woodlands, hillside thickets, rocky hills, stream banks, cherty upper slopes, rocky ravines, ledges, bluffs, glades, prairies, power line rights-of-way, roadsides (FNA 2014).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest EdgeWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldBarrensBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecSNRYes
OntarioS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS2Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
New BrunswickS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MinnesotaSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
MarylandSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
IowaS4Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
FloridaSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
North CarolinaS4Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
KentuckySNRYes
DelawareS3Yes
VermontS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (35)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Georgia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Boggs CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,073
Helton CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,348
Tate BranchChattahoochee National Forest1,069
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Burke BranchShawnee National Forest6,231
Indiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mogan RidgeHoosier National Forest8,435
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Swan Creek Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest7,310
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Tennessee (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Virginia (18)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Crawford MountainGeorge Washington National Forest9,892
Elliott KnobGeorge Washington National Forest9,380
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
Three SistersGeorge Washington National Forest8,149
West Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Cheat MountainMonongahela National Forest8,191
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Little Allegheny MountainMonongahela National Forest10,514
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
References (5)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2014b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 9. Magnoliophyta: Picramniaceae to Rosaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 713 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).