NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Rosa carolina

Carolina Rose

Scientific Name:	Rosa carolina
Genus:	Rosa
Species Epithet:	carolina
Common Name:	Carolina Rose
Plant Type	Shrub
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Invasive Status:	^(*Key)
Size:	1-3 ft.
Bloom Color(s):	Pink
Light:	Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day
Soil Moisture:	Dry, Moist
Bloom Time:	May, June, July
Growing Area:	Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain
Habitat Description:	Rosa carolina ssp. carolina: Upland forests, woodlands, pastures, roadsides; common throughout NC. Rosa carolina ssp. subserrulata: Glades and barrens; rare in NC mountains and piedmont.
Leaf Arrangement:	Alternate
Leaf Retention:	Deciduous
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Compound
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Important for Wildlife
Landscape Value:	Suitable for home landscapes
State Rank:	S4: Apparently secure ^(*Key)
Global Rank:	G5 - Secure ^(*Key)
Notes:	Colonial, so best grown in a natural area. Red fruit in the fall. Straight, sharp thorns.
Flower Wake County, NC May 2002 by Hugh Partridge
Straight thorns distinguish between r.carolina and r.palustris Wake County, NC, September 2020 by Margaret Partridge
Rose hip Wake County, September 2020, by Margaret Partridge
Links:	USDA PLANTS Database Record https://nc.audubon.org/conservation/bird-friendly-communities/bird-friendly-native-plants https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/species_account.php https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rosa-carolina/ https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/rosa/carolina/