Pronounced: RO-zuh BLAN-duh
Pink flowers, compound leaves and mostly unarmed upper stems distinguish this native rose. These field photographs follow Smooth Rose through flowering and fruiting at Chiwaukee Prairie, Wisconsin.
Smooth Rose at Chiwaukee Prairie, Wisconsin. Select the photo to enlarge.
Family Rosaceae · rose family
Genus Rosa
Life cycle Perennial woody shrub
Blooms Late spring–early summer; often May–July regionally
Height Commonly 2–5 feet; sometimes taller
Light & habitat Sun to partial shade; prairies, thickets, lakeshores and woodland edges
Also called Smooth Wild Rose, Early Wild Rose and Meadow Rose.
Reported observations may include cultivated plants and do not define the full native range.
Compare leaves, prickles, flower stalks, stipules and hips across similar regional roses. Use several features together alongside the field photographs; individual plants vary and roses can hybridize.
Click or tap the chart to enlarge it. Botanical details are shown at different scales.
Check the newer upper stems and flowering branches: they are usually smooth and lack prickles. Older lower canes may still have prickles, so “smooth” does not mean every stem is completely unarmed.
Look for compound leaves with usually 5–7 leaflets, sometimes 9, toothed margins and pink, five-petaled flowers. Flower stalks are generally smooth. Use these features together when comparing native roses.
Look in open prairie, thickets, sunny woodland margins and lakeshore vegetation from late spring into early summer. Smooth Rose tolerates dry to moist ground and can spread into loose colonies.
These photographs were taken at Chiwaukee Prairie, Wisconsin, where Rosa blanda is included in the preserve’s plant list.
Native to northern and central North America, including Wisconsin and Illinois.
Reported U.S. distribution
CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SD, VA, VT, WI, WV
State records describe documented distribution, not presence in every county or proof that every population is native. DC is included as a separate jurisdiction. Distribution lists differ among sources; this list follows NatureServe.
Distribution source: NatureServe Explorer.
Flowers range from rich pink to much paler shades. Numerous yellow stamens surround the center. Flower color varies and does not identify a wild rose by itself.
Later in the season, rounded hips ripen red, often retaining their narrow sepals at the tip. The photographs show different stages of the plant’s seasonal cycle.
Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina) typically has slender, straight stem prickles and glandular flower stalks. Compare these structures rather than relying on pink petals. Compare Carolina Rose →
Prairie Rose (Rosa arkansana) commonly has densely prickly stems and more leaflets. Compare Prairie Rose →
Wild Climbing Rose usually has three leaflets and long scrambling canes. Compare Wild Climbing Rose →
Bees collect pollen from rose flowers, and birds eat the ripe hips. A small beetle is visible in the center of this blossom; a photograph of a visitor alone does not establish that it is pollinating the flower.
New shoots can arise from spreading underground stems, gradually making a loose patch. Flowers, hips and shelter make these native rose colonies useful parts of prairie and woodland-edge habitat.
Practice recognizing Smooth Rose by its upper stems, compound leaves, pink flowers and red hips, then compare it with other native roses.
