Find a plant:


{name}

OR Browse All Plants


Rosa palustris var. scandens (Swamp rose)

Rosa palustris var. scandens Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of The Antique Rose Emporium



Be the first to rate this plant

Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Botanical Name: Rosa palustris var. scandens ROE-sah pah-LUSS-tris variety SKAN-denz Common Name: Swamp rose Synonyms: R. palustris 'Scandens' Genus: Rosa
This graceful and arching variety of our native swamp rose has single rosy-pink blossoms with a mild scent. It retains the disease resistance of its native ancestor, and has the added quality of being thornless. 
 Noteworthy characteristics: R. palustris thrives along the margins of bogs, marshes, and waterways of North America. It suckers to form a dense shrub, bearing hooked thorns and flowering once in the summer. Its reddish-orange hips provide food for wildlife. It is ideal for naturalized areas, native plantings, and wild gardens. 
 Care: Grow in fertile, moist soil in full sun or partial shade. Provide good air circulation and remove fallen leaves to help prevent disease. Prune lightly or back by up to one-third, reducing side shoots by one-half to one-third. To renovate, prune one in four or five shoots at the base.
 Propagation: Take softwood cuttings when bloom initiates in spring to summer; take hardwood cuttings in fall.
 Problems: Aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites, scale, caterpillars, sawfly larvae, cane borers, Japanese beetles, rose stem girders, rose midges, rose slugs, rose chafers, leaf-cutting bees, black spot, rust, powdery mildew, crown gall, canker, dieback, downy mildew, viruses.
Height 3 ft. to 6 ft.
Spread 3 ft. to 6 ft.
Growth Habit Spreads
Growth Pace Moderate Grower
Light Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture Medium to Wet
Maintenance Low
Characteristics Attracts Birds; Attracts Butterflies; Fragrant Flowers; Native; Showy Flowers; Showy Fruit
Bloom Time Summer
Flower Color Pink Flower
Uses Beds and Borders, Cut Flower, Hedge, Naturalizing, Waterside
Style Meadow Garden
Seasonal Interest Summer Interest, Fall Interest
Type Shrubs

Plants you might also like

Rosa rugosa var. alba Rosa rugosa var. alba
(Hedgehog rose, Ramanas rose, Japanese rose, Sea tomato) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This variety has single, papery white blossoms that open from light pink buds and have contrasting yellow stamens. The heavily-scented flowers are followed by reddish-orange hips. It grows up to 6 feet high.
Rosa 'Frau Dagmar Hastrup' Rosa 'Frau Dagmar Hastrup'
(Hedgehog rose, Ramanas rose, Japanese rose, Sea tomato) (1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This choice rose has single, gently cupped light-pink flowers that exude an intense, clove-scented perfume. It blooms in spring and sporadically throughout the season, and produces red hips. In autumn, the foliage turns deep maroon, which changes to yellow tinged with coppery highlights. It grows to 3 to 4 feet high and wide.   
Rosa 'Charles Albanel' Rosa 'Charles Albanel'
(Hedgehog rose, Ramanas rose, Japanese rose, Sea tomato) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This spreading rose grows to only 2 feet tall, making it an ideal groundcover for a steep bank or roadside. It produces fragrant, double, deep-pink blossoms from spring to fall.  
Rosa 'Blanc Double de Coubert' Rosa 'Blanc Double de Coubert'
(Hedgehog rose, Ramanas rose, Japanese rose, Sea tomato) (1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

The white of this rose has a purity of color that is without equal. It produces semi-double, very fragrant flowers from spring to fall, which are sometimes followed by orange hips. It grows to 6 feet high and wide.   
Rosa 'Rose de Rescht' Rosa 'Rose de Rescht'
(Damask perpetual rose) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This compact rose has fragrant, fuschia-red flowers packed with petals that fade to purple as they age. It grows up to 4 feet high and 3 feet wide, and blooms from spring to fall.