Pasture Rose

Description:  Pasture Rose forms dense thickets, 3 to 6 feet tall. Canes are covered with thorns when young, fewer on older canes. The flowers are 2 1/2 inches across, pink to red, solitary or in clusters of two to three. Flowers from mid may through June. Rosehips appear in August and are small, red, pear-shaped and keep good color into winter. Foliage is light green turning bright red in the fall. Natural habitat is wet low grounds, and stream borders. Flowers provide nectar for bumblebees and birds eat the hips. Use as a ground cover or mass in shrub borders, bird gardens, naturalized areas or native plant gardens. For more information see: plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rosa-carolina

Care and Growing Tips:  Plant roses in deep holes partially filled with plenty of amended soil, for drainage. Typically, it is best to water these roses during extended dry spells. It's better to water deeply per week than to water less deeply more often. Avoid late-evening watering, which can foster powdery mildew. A good is to feed roses monthly with a 10-10-10 rose fertilizer. Start feeding them when they are actively growing in spring, coinciding with pruning time. Pastrue Rose bushes benefit from judicious pruning in early spring, before the leaf buds open. The middle of February is often a good time to prune Pasture Roses here in Tennessee. To prepare roses for blooming, give them adequate water and fertilizer as needed. Well-tended roses are much more likely to produce a large display of flowers.