Plant · GBIF taxon 3003979
rugosa rose
Rosa rugosaAlso known as Beach Rose, Japanese Rose, Ramanas Rose, Saltspray Rose
Rugosa rose thrives along windswept coastlines, forming dense thorny thickets anchored by deeply veined, wrinkled leaves that tolerate heavy salt spray. Large fragrant blossoms in shades of magenta and white bloom throughout summer, giving way to plump tomato-shaped orange and red hips in autumn. Birds and small mammals feed on the persistent fruits and disperse seeds across coastal dunes, where established colonies can crowd out native shoreline vegetation.
FloweringScentedInvasive
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Photosynthetic (autotroph)
Predators
- Deer
- Aphids
- Spider mites
ThreatsNative habitat degradation in East Asia; aggressive spreading in non-native coastal areas
HabitatsCoastal sand dunes, beaches, roadsides, disturbed thickets
Life span30–50+ years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderRosales
- FamilyRosaceae
- GenusRosa
- SpeciesRosa rugosa
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Wild berries and rose hips have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild plants based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Observe Foliage: Look for dark green leaves with deeply sunken veins that create a characteristic wrinkled texture.
- Check Dunes: Spot thick clumps stabilizing sandy beaches where salt spray deters most other shrubs.
- Mind the Prickles: Approach carefully as stems are densely shielded by straight, needle-like thorns.
Native Counterpart "Prairie Rose" by USFWS Mountain Prairie is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Invasive Relative Famartin / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Native Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by Andrew Holle · cc0
European Relative Roberta F. / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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