Carried by 17 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Also known as the baldhip or dwarf rose, the wood rose is a woodland shrub that grows best in shady or sun-dappled areas. Delicate, fragrant blooms in shades of pink and lavender are flat and open-faced. The stems are covered in long, straight spines and vibrant green leaves.
The flowers attract butterflies and bees. After blooming, the hips are a food source for birds. The wood rose is a good plant selection for a waterwise dry shade garden. It is drought tolerant and has low water requirements.
Shrub
3 - 7 ft Tall
6 - 9 ft Wide
Upright, Mounding, Weeping
Fast, Moderate
Evergreen
Pleasant
Red, Purple, Pink, Lavender
Spring
Deer resistant
Full Sun, Partial Shade, Deep Shade
Low
Max 1x / month once established
Moderate
Tolerates cold to -10° F
Medium
Tolerates clay but does best in moist loamy soil.
Soil PH: 5 - 7
For propagating by seed: 3 mos. stratification; preceding this by 2-3 mos. warm stratification may improve germination (USDA Forest Service 1974).
1, 2, 4, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Woodlands
Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Valley Grassland, Yellow Pine Forest
Butterflies and moths supported
0 confirmed and 66 likely
Garden Webworm Moth
Achyra rantalis
Brittania Moth
Acleris britannia
Destructive Pruneworm Moth
Acrobasis tricolorella
Cal Flora Nursery. “Rosa gymnocarpa.” Accessed Mar. 31, 2025. https://calfloranursery.com/plants/rosa-gymnocarpa.