Prairie Rose

1924

3 to 8 feet

The only native climbing rose in North America and the only member of the synstylae group found wild in the U.S., the ‘Prairie Rose’ has quite a list of distinctions. The arching stems are thornless and do not sucker, but will root readily when touching the ground. The single, bright pink flowers appear very late in spring or even early summer when other wild roses have finished blooming. This trait can extend the flowering period of the wild garden. This rose is especially cold hardy, tough, and disease resistant, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance plantings. There is some controversy about the fragrance, or lack of it. Ellen Willmott called the flowers "deficient in scent". However, Graham Stuart Thomas, in Shrub Roses of Today, says they are "very fragrant in spite of numerous statements to the contrary."