Multiflora Rose
Rosa multiflora
Rosa multiflora
"Rosa Multiflora rose" by Sesamehoneytart is liscensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Rosa multiflora, or Multiflora Rose, is a deciduous shrub from East Asia. This plant can grow up to 15 feet long and be used for erosion control, living fences, and providing cover to native wildlife. The dense thickets this plant forms can quickly overrun pastures and crowd out native species.
"Multiflora Rose mass" by Minard38 is liscensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
"Multiflora Rose Leaves" by Smithh05 is liscensed under CC0
Identifying Features
Large clusters of white or pinkish, 5-petal flowers in May and June
Oval-shaped, toothed leaves around 1 to 1.5 inches in length
Pea-sized, bright-red hips, the rose's fruit, which are present from late summer to early winter
Feathery, deeply fringed stipule at the base of each leaf
Roughly 6 to 8 feet tall
A photo showing Multiflora Rose's feathery, fringed stipule by Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org is liscensed under CC BY-NC 3.0 US
A photo of a Multiflora Rose infestation along a highway by Randy Westbrook, Invasive Plant Control, Inc., Bugwood.org is liscensed under CC BY 3.0 US
Its dense thickets restrict human, livestock, and wildlife movement and crowd out native plants
Creates huge seed banks that can still produce seedlings up to 20 years after the mature plant has been removed (a mature plant can produce half a million seeds in a year!)
Large monocultures decrease native plant and wildlife diversity
Try to "save the best" -- the areas with the smallest infestations and native species
It's incredibly difficult to restore heavily infested areas because of the huge seed banks mature plants create
Small populations of younger plants can be manually pulled
Remove the entire root system to prevent resprouting
Brush mowers can be used for larger infestations, but will need to be followed up with herbicide treatment
Apply herbicides (glyphosate, triclopyr, or metsulfuron-methyl) until no more plants reemerge
"Invasive Plants in Your Backyard!" by the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District
Ecosystem Impacts
Identification
Native alternatives
"Burning Bush" on PennState Extension
General Information
Identification
Removal Techniques
Multiflora Rose on BugWood Wiki
Ecosystem Impacts
Removal Techniques