Swamp Rose

Rosa palustris

Swamp rose is the native rose for the wetland edge. the only North American rose that tolerates having its roots in standing water for extended periods. In June and July, the single pink blooms cover the arching canes with the clean, uncomplicated beauty of a wild rose. There's no fussiness to this plant: it grows along stream banks, pond margins, and wet swales and asks only that it stay moist. The red hips that ripen in late summer and fall persist through winter, providing a critical food source for birds when the season has stripped most other fruit from the landscape. The canes are arching and densely bristled, creating good nesting structure for birds. This is a plant for naturalistic wet gardens, rain gardens, and the low margins of ponds. exactly the spots where a conventional rose would fail immediately.