Rosa virginiana

Virginia Rose
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Rosa
Species:	R. virginiana
Binomial name
Rosa virginiana P.Mill.

Rosa virginiana, commonly known as the Virginia Rose ^[2], Common Wild Rose or Prairie Rose, is a woody perennial in the rose family native to eastern North America, where it is the commonest wild rose.^[3] It is deciduous, forming a suckering shrub up to 2 metres in height, though often less. The stems are covered in numerous hooked prickles. The leaves are pinnate, usually with between 7 and 9 glossy leaflets. The pink flowers are borne singly or in small clusters and appear over a long period in midsummer. The fruits are small, round and bright red.

Quest-Ritson and Quest-Ritson describe R. virginiana as "the best all-rounder among the wild roses", and draw attention to its leaf coloration in the fall: "the whole plant turns yellow, orange, scarlet, crimson and brown for weeks on end".^[4]

References

1. ^ NatureServe (2006), "Rosa virginiana", NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life, Version 6.1., Arlington, Virginia, http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Rosa+virginiana+ 
2. ^ Rosa virginiana at USDA PLANTS Database
3. ^ Phillips, R. and Rix, M. The Ultimate Guide to Roses, Macmillan, 2004, p25
4. ^ Quest-Ritson, C. and Quest-Ritson, B., The Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Roses, Dorling Kindersley, 2003, p413