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Roses

Rosa spinosissima

Scotch rose

A small, freely suckering native rose about 90cm tall, forming thickets of prickly stems bearing neat, fern-like, dark green foliage, and cupped, single creamy-white blooms, occasionally with hints of pink, and prominent yellow stamens, once-flowering in early summer, followed by spherical black fruits (hips); pre 1600

Other common names

barrow rose
burnet rose
see morefox rose
wild burnet rose

Synonyms

Rosa pimpinellifolia
Rosa poteriifolia
see moreRosa Scotch rose
Rosa altaica Willd.

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Suckering, Bushy
Potentially harmful: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Rosa can be deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs or scrambling climbers, with usually thorny stems bearing compound pinnate leaves and solitary or clustered flowers. Flowers may be followed by showy red or purple fruits in some varieties.
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Europe, Asia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil in full sun. Mulch with well-rotted organic matter in late winter or early spring, and for best flowering apply a general rose or shrub fertiliser in early spring and again in early summer. Ideal for poor sandy soil and low hedging. See rose cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in early to mid spring, hardwood cuttings in late summer to autumn or by chip budding in summer; propagate by seed; species roses can be propagated by seed but need stratification and germination may take two seasons

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds
Hedging and screens

Pruning

See pruning group 20 (shrub roses), don't deadhead flowers if fruits (hips) are required

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, rose leafhopper, glasshouse red spider mite, scale insects, caterpillars, large rose sawfly, rose slugworm sawfly and rose leaf-rolling sawfly. Deer and rabbits can cause damage

Diseases

May be susceptible to rose black spot, rose rust, replant disease, rose dieback, and rose powdery mildew and sometimes honey fungus. May also be susceptible to disorders rose blindness and flower balling

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