Side by side
Field-rose or dog rose? How to tell them apart
Rosa arvensis · Rosa canina
How to tell them apart – field-rose: low, trailing or climbing wild rose of woodland edges, with white flowers whose styles are fused into a little column; dog rose: a larger, upright shrub with (pale) pink flowers and free styles.
How do you recognise them?
- Field-rose
- Low, trailing or climbing wild rose of woodland edges, with white flowers whose styles are fused into a little column.
- Dog rose
- Wild rose with arching, prickly stems, pink flowers and red rose hips.
- Compared with field-rose: a larger, upright shrub with (pale) pink flowers and free styles.
| Field-rose | Dog rose | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, pinnate with 5–7 oval, single-toothed leaflets of 1–3.5 cm; thin and hairless, paler underneath. | Alternate, pinnate with 5–7 toothed leaflets; stipules at the base. |
| Flowering | White flowers (3–5 cm) in June–July, barely scented; in the centre the styles stand together as a little column, about as long as the stamens (June–July). | Single, pale pink to white flowers with five petals, June (June). |
| Fruit | Small, round to oval, red hips (1–1.5 cm); the sepals drop off early. | Red rose hips, rich in vitamin C (tea, jam); the hairs inside are itchy. |
| Bark | Long, thin, green to purplish stems that trail over the ground or climb through shrubs, with scattered, curved prickles. | Green to red stems with hooked prickles. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 0.5–2 m, trailing or climbing | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Partial shade or shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | February–March | February–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
Read on
- Plant profile: Field-rose
- Plant profile: Dog rose
- Field-rose: when and how to prune
- Dog rose: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
- Sweet-briar or dog rose
- Dog rose or Japanese rose
- Bramble or dog rose
- Burnet rose or dog rose
- Raspberry or dog rose
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.