California wild rose

Rosa californica

Description

The California wild rose is a remarkably robust deciduous shrub producing many spiny stems, 3-6 ft. tall and spreading by underground stems as far as space and moisture permit. Medium green foliage is comprised of pinnately divided leaves with 5-7 coarsely toothed leaflets. Bright rose to pink colored flowers with 5 petals occur in spring; colorful red berry-like fruit mature in fall.

California wild rose is native to riparian and moist woodland habitats from Oregon to northern Baja California. It has proven to be a highly adaptable plant that is easily grown in native plant gardens and for restoration projects. It combines well with other native species on the Western Sycamore Palette and is useful as a barrier plant with an attractive display of flowers for seasonal color in the spring.

Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Foliage Character: Winter deciduous, Drought deciduous
Habit: Upright, Spreading, Sprawling, Mounding, Dense
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Medium green
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Moist soil, Loam, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: Morning sun, Moderate shade
Function: Restoration, Residential spaces, Raised planters, Parks and open space, Grouped, Foundations, Foliage accent plant, Flowering accent plant, Borders, Banks, Background plant, Attracts bees, Wildlife value, Slopes, Screening
Height: 3 ft. – 6 ft.
Width: 8 ft. – 10 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 2

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 2 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another two weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
To save water, in many cases you can go longer in between waterings during the winter, often up to 3-4 weeks between watering for well-established plants. Two weeks after watering, check the soil approximately 4” below the surface. If it is still significantly moist, you can wait longer before watering again.
In most cases, if you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, you may use these features to save some water in in the fall and winter. If you are using automatic weather adjusting functions, continue to allow the timer to run every two weeks. It will adjust the number of minutes it runs to account for the cooler weather.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

This is an aggressive plant that spreads outwards from the roots and is extremely thorny. It is a beautiful and very tough native plant with high habitat value, which can be low maintenance if placed somewhere where it can spread. However, if used in a small or medium sized yard, it can be a lot of work to keep from spreading. It is often best used in a moist spot in a restoration style landscape. It can be pruned as aggressively as desired in winter (S). References

California wild rose

Description

Watering Schedule: Low 2

Important Notes

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California wild rose

Description

Plant Lists

California Native Plants

Plants for Shade

Flowering Shrubs

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