Multiflora rose

Multiflora rose: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Vigorous, wide shrub about 3 m tall and wide, with long, arching stems covered in prickles.

Leaves

7–9 leaflets, light green with a hairy underside. The fringed stipules along the leaf stalk are characteristic.

Flowers

Small, white, single flowers of 2–3 cm in large panicles, strongly and sweetly scented, in June–July.

Fruit

Small, pea-sized red hips in clusters that hang on into winter.

Stems

Long, arching to trailing stems that can root where they touch the ground.

Flowering: June–July · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: March and July

Why grow it?

• Abundant flowering in June–July, with hundreds of small, white, fragrant flowers in large clusters.
• The open, single flowers are a source of pollen for bees and other insects.
• Red hips in autumn and winter feed birds.
• As an impenetrable, prickly hedge it gives birds a safe refuge and nesting place.
• Very hardy (to about −30 °C), robust and low maintenance.

Multiflora rose: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; it flowers best in full sun.
• Any well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky. It dislikes wet feet.
• Dry to normally moist; once established it is fairly drought tolerant.
• Give it plenty of room: 3 m or more as a free-standing shrub, and 1–1.5 m between plants in a hedge.
• Do not plant it near nature reserves or woodland edges (see the warning).

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

3 m tall, 3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Hawthorn: A native hedge shrub that feeds bees and birds.
• Blackthorn: A sturdy, thorny hedge shrub with white blossom in early spring.
• Wild honeysuckle: Climbs through the hedge and scents the summer.
• Guelder rose: White flower heads in May–June and red berries for birds.

Multiflora rose: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or in October–November, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Decide beforehand how much room it will get and clear the spot of weeds: it will reach 3 m across.
3. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep and mix in compost.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot, fill in with soil and firm it well.
5. Water in generously straight away, even if it is raining.
6. Spread a layer of compost or bark around the base. For a hedge, set plants 1–1.5 m apart.

Care

Water

In the first year give a good can of water weekly in dry spells. After that it manages on its own.

Feeding

Usually unnecessary. A spadeful of compost in spring is enough.

Mulching

A layer of compost or bark in spring keeps weeds down and the soil moist.

Support

Let it grow freely or lead the long stems along a fence, arch or wall and tie them in.

Seedlings

Pull up young plants that come up around the shrub in spring.

Tip: Plant it only where it will have 3 m or more of room, for example as a free-standing hedge at the back of a large garden. To avoid self-seeding, cut off faded flowers before they form hips.

Multiflora rose: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and July.

When: Prune after flowering, in July. A thorough renewal is done in February–March.

How:

• Remove dead, damaged and weak stems.
• Every three to four years take out about a third of the oldest stems at the base.
• Clip a hedge to shape straight after flowering.
• Wear sturdy gloves and long sleeves: the stems are very prickly.

Caution: Hard pruning in February–March costs you part of that year’s flowers, because it flowers on side shoots of last year’s wood.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Hardwood cuttings

In October–November take cuttings of 20–25 cm from ripened shoots and push them two-thirds into the ground in a sheltered spot. They usually root well.

Layering

Stems that touch the ground often root by themselves. Sever such a stem in autumn and plant it elsewhere.

Seed

Take the seeds out of ripe hips in autumn and sow them at once in a pot that you leave outdoors: they need cold to germinate.

Multiflora rose: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Very hardy to about −30 °C: in Belgium no protection is needed.
• The red hips hang on into winter and feed birds.
• Do not grow it in a pot: it is too big and too vigorous.

Diseases and pests

• Self-seeding and spreading: Birds spread the seeds from the hips, and stems that touch the ground root. Pull up seedlings and, if you like, cut off faded flowers before they form hips.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves and buds, especially in drought and in a stuffy spot. Provide sun, air and water at the base, and cut away affected shoots.
• Aphids: On young shoots and buds in May–June. Rinse them off with water or let ladybirds do the work.
• Black spot: Black spots with fringed edges and leaf fall in wet summers. Clear up affected leaves and provide air between plants.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Renew if necessary. Give compost.
• April: Plant. Spread mulch.
• May: The buds form. Watch for aphids.
• June: Flowering begins.
• July: Full flower, then prune. Pull up seedlings.
• August: The hips colour.
• September: Red hips. Clear up diseased leaves.
• October: Plant. Take hardwood cuttings. Sow seed.
• November: Plant. Leave the hips for the birds.
• December: The red hips decorate the winter.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• Rosa multiflora is a parent of many polyantha and rambler roses.
• It is widely used as a rootstock onto which nurseries graft other roses.
• In the 20th century it was also planted in the United States as a living fence and against erosion, after which it ran wild on a large scale.