Rosa palustris - Swamp Rose

Sizes available: #1 (Trade gallon)

Basics: zones 4-9, 3-6' x 3-6', can grow to 12', full sun to part shade (but does best in full sun), single pink blooms with a yellow center in late spring to early summer, likes acidic wetlands and wet edges with nutritious, acidic soils. Prefers consistent moisture, but does not like standing water. Periodic inundation is tolerated.

Common names: Swamp Rose

Family: Rosaceae

Origin/Distribution: Found from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota and south to Tennessee and further south to Florida. Native to all New England states.

Habitat: Occurs in wet meadows and fields, on sunny edges of marshes, swamps, rivers, streams and lakes.

More: Rosa palustris has spiny, reddish colored, arching stems and pretty, pink, fragrant flowers that form into pea-sized hips in the autumn. The flowers attract bees, beetles, and hummingbirds. The hips are eaten by turkeys, quail, small mammals, and song birds. The petals and hips are edible and the plant has been used medicinally. This deciduous shrub will form colonies through suckering and is good for erosion control. Its tangly mass provides excellent cover for nesting songbirds and small creatures of all kinds. Prune in late winter. Native bees will use the hollow stems as nest sites, so cut some of the stems to between 12 and 24 inches from the ground on a yearly basis and leave them standing. The emergent foliage and new stem growth will conceal the naturally disintegrating stem material quickly in the spring. I imagine the branches with hips attached would look good in an autumn arrangement, but handle with care. A pair of leather rose-pruning gloves which cover up to the elbow will be a good investment for your prickly tasks. 

Source: New England Wetland Plants

Image credits: Both images of blooms courtesy of Malcom Manners via Creative Commons through the North Carolina Extension Gardeners Plant Toolbox. The blooms can vary in color.