Climbing Prairie Rose (Rosa setigera)

Climbing Prairie Rose
Rosa setigera

A beautiful native climbing rose, Climbing Prairie Rose produces long, arching canes that scramble naturally through shrubs and small trees, creating a graceful and informal structure in the landscape. In early to midsummer, clusters of fragrant pink flowers open from deep pink buds, attracting a wide variety of native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

The flowers are followed by bright red rose hips that persist into fall and winter, providing valuable food for birds and other wildlife. Unlike many cultivated roses, Climbing Prairie Rose has a naturally wild appearance and is exceptionally well suited to native hedgerows, woodland edges, meadows, and wildlife plantings.

Its vigorous growth and thorny stems also provide excellent protective cover and nesting habitat for birds and small mammals, making it both a beautiful and highly functional native species.

Growing Conditions

Height: 6–15 ft
Spread: 4–10 ft
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Moist to average, well-drained soils; adaptable to clay, loam, and sandy soils
Hardiness: Zone 4–8
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Can scramble through shrubs and small trees
Ideal for hedgerows, woodland edges, meadows, wildlife gardens, and naturalized landscapes.

Ecological Value

• Flowers provide nectar and pollen for native bees and other pollinators.
• Rose hips provide an important fall and winter food source for birds and wildlife.
• Dense, thorny growth provides excellent nesting and protective cover.
• Supports a wide diversity of native insects.
• Excellent species for wildlife hedgerows and ecological restoration.

Larval Host Plant For

Supports the larvae of several native moth species and provides habitat for numerous beneficial insects.

Companion Species

Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)
Cockspur Hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli)
Black Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus)
Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)

Planting to Protect
Restoring to Thrive
Origin Native Plants

Gallon Pots