Rosa multiflora

Rosa multiflora may be told from R. setigera, which it resembles, by a more trailing or arching habit, mostly 7 or 9 leaflets, 2-4 cm long, abundant, mostly white flowers in a pyramidal inflorescence, a glabrous style, and smaller fruit (Fernald 1950).

Rosa multiflora grows best on deep, fertile, well-drained but moist uplands or bottomlands, but is capable of enduring a wide range of edaphic and environmental conditions (Wyman 1949, Steavenson 1946). Steavenson (1946) reported successful plantings even on the eroded clay pans of central Missouri and southern Illinois. Schery (1977) reported that multiflora rose endures shade or sun and damp or dry environments, but does not grow well in standing water.

Rosa multiflora reproduces by seeds and by rooting at the tips of its drooping canes (Albaugh et al. 1977). Flowering begins in May, and the fruits develop in mid to late summer. The rose hips do not split apart to release the seed, but dry gradually to form a leathery capsule too dense to be wind-carried. The fruits are highly sought after by birds, especially the Cedar waxwing and American Robin (Scott 1965, Albaugh 1977, Barbour and Meade 1980). Birds are responsible for spreading the seeds, and as Schery (1977) noted, rose seedlings are often found under bird perch sites. Wyman (1940) observed better germination of seeds after scarification by passing through the digestive tract of birds. Uneaten rose hips remain on the plant until the following spring (Fawcett 1980) and the seeds remain viable for a number of years (Wyman 1949).

The seeds germinate readily following deposition in the soil. Steavenson (1946) recommended cold stratification from Feb. 1 to April to people planting multiflora rose. Seedlings appear within 60 days at soil temperatures above freezing (Steavenson 1946). Seedlings are generally inconspicuous the first one or two years due to their low growth habit (Schery 1977).