•Status in Florida: Native
•Size at Maturity: Typically grows 3 to 5 feet tall and wide.
•Phenology: Deciduous shrub with arching branches, compound leaves, and solitary pink to red flowers that bloom in spring to early summer.
•Life Cycle: Perennial
•Bloom Season: Spring to early summer
•Deciduous, Dioecious, Evergreen: Deciduous
•Sunlight Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
•Soil Texture: Moist to wet soils, often found in swamps, wetlands, and along water edges
•Soil pH: Tolerant of a wide range, but prefers slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.0-7.0)
•Moisture Requirements: Requires consistently moist to wet soil, can tolerate short periods of inundation
•Tolerance to Salt Spray: Low tolerance
•Recommended Landscape Uses: Wetland gardens, rain gardens, pond edges, naturalized areas
•Maintenance Tips: Low maintenance; prune as needed to maintain shape and remove dead or damaged branches; remove spent flowers to promote additional blooming
•Considerations: Swamp Rose can spread by suckering and may form thickets in favorable conditions.
•Deer and/or Rabbit Resistance: Moderately resistant; typically not preferred by deer or rabbits
•Edible: Rose hips (fruit) are edible and can be used to make tea, jam, or syrup.
•Medicinal Uses: Traditionally used in herbal medicine for various purposes, including as a treatment for skin ailments and as a source of vitamin C.
•Toxicity to Pets: Not known to be toxic to pets, but ingestion of large quantities of plant material may cause gastrointestinal upset.
•Florida Native Companion Plant: Swamp Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum), Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
•Wildlife Benefit: Attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies; provides habitat and food for various insects and birds
•Caterpillar Host Plant: Swamp Rose is a host plant for the caterpillars of various butterfly species, including the Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) and the Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus).
