Beautiful and Very Hardy, Rosa Rugosa Thrives in Tough Conditions

Rosa rugosa is commonly known as either the hedgehog rose, the Japanese rose, or the Ramanus rose. This rose is a native of Asia, northeastern China, Japan, Korea and southeastern Siberia where it colonizes the salt-blasted sand dunes. The ability of this species to thrive in poor soil and withstand harsh climatic conditions should not blind us to its true beauty and value as a garden shrub.

Rosa rugosa Thrives in Adverse Conditions

This wild species which is much used by landscapers is often seen growing in adverse conditions, because it thrives in poor soil and withstands harsh climatic conditions. Road salt which drifts onto traffic islands and central reservations has little effect on its strong constitution. The lush leathery mid-green leaves, glow with health and never seem to succumb to rose-rust and black spot.

Rosa rugosa Forms an Impenetrable Thicket

This shrubby rose forms an impenetrable thicket reaching 1-1.5 metres tall with stems densely covered in short, straight thorns 3-10 mm long. These characteristics make Rosa rugosa an excellent vandal-proof plant and burglar deterrent.

Rosa rugosa has Three Attractive Features

Aesthetically this wild rose is a beauty, displaying three attractive features:-

• The leaves are 8-15 long, composed of seven leaflets (each one 3-4cm long) with a corrugated surface. Before they fall in autumn they turn bright yellow.
• Naturally repeat-flowering from June to September the purple-rose, pleasantly scented, flowers measure 10cm across with contrasting yellow stamens.
• Flowers are followed by very large, (2-3cm diameter) tomato-shaped, red to orange-red hips.
• Plants often carry a few late flowers alongside the hips.

Cultivars and Varieties of Rosa rugosa

• Varieties of R. rugosa include ‘alba’ which has white flowers emerging from pale pink buds.
• The variety ‘rosea’ has rose-pink flowers and ‘rubra’ bears purplish-pink flowers.
• Numerous cultivars are available with flowers varying in colour from white to dark red-purple.
• Popular ones include ‘Fru Dagmar Hastrup’ a sturdy, spreading shrub with mid-green leaves. The pointed buds open into single, clove-scented light-pink flowers.
• ‘Roseraie de L’Hay’ has rich, deep purple-red stongly scented flowers.
• ‘Blanc de Coubert’ is a semi-double with pure glistening white flowers and yellow stamens.
• R. rugosa ‘Scabrosa’ is vigorous and dense with large crimson, single flowers which are followed by plenty of immense orange-red hips.

Rosa rugosa Makes an Excellent Hedge

Rosa rugosa makes a beautiful, informal flowering hedge. It’s best to buy bare root plants between leaf fall and bud break. Whips which are young plants with a single woody stem are the cheapest. Ground preparation is minimal, but should ensure that all perennial weeds are removed and the ground dug over to spade’s depth. When planting simply make a slit in the soil with a spade and drop a whip into it, putting about five plants per metre in a staggered row.

Aftercare of Rosa rugosa Hedge is Simple

After planting cut back the whips by about half, because this results in bushy growth from ground level next year. Prune established hedges in the dormant season. Tip back long stems and occasionally take out long stems completely. Over-grown out-of-control hedges can be brought into line with hedge trimmers.