Carried by 3 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Rosa minutifolia is a rare species known by the common names Baja rose and small-leafed rose. This is a very spiny, dense shrub native to the chaparral and maritime succulent scrub plant communities of Baja California and barely crossing the border into San Diego County where it's habitat has been almost completely destroyed. It is being propagated at the San Diego Botanic Garden as a conservation measure, and it is grown elsewhere as an ornamental. The branches of the shrub are gray to red-tinted and covered in long and short spines. The shiny toothed leaves are composed of small leaflets only about half a centimeter wide. The blooms are generally bright pink with many yellow-anthered stamens and masses of prickles on the undersides. It is slow growing and individual plants remain fairly compact, unlike other wild roses. Though very drought tolerant, it accepts some summer water and will often bloom in response. It has a very long flowering season; with supplemental water it is essentially year round. It's a good choice for drought tolerant gardens especially in the southern coastal counties.
Shrub
1 - 3 ft Tall
3 ft Wide
Rounded
Slow
Summer Semi-deciduous
Pleasant, Slight
Pink
Spring, Winter
Full Sun
Very Low, Low
Max 1x / month once established
Moderate
Tolerates cold to 15° F
Fast, Medium, Slow
Typically sandy or derived from sedimentary rock, but also tolerates clay.
Soil PH: 6.5 - 8.0
Native to coastal bluffs, mesas and foothills where rain is sparse but there is some fog drip year round
Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Maritime Desert Scrub
Dudleya spp., White Sage (Salvia apiana), Apricot Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), Purple Sage (Salvia leucophylla), Cliff Spurge (Euphorbia misera), Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), Shaw's Agave (Agave shawii), San Diego Viguiera (Bahiopsis laciniata), Yucca (Hesperoyucca spp. or Yucca spp.), Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), and various cactus species
Butterflies and moths supported
0 confirmed and 15 likely
Garden Webworm Moth
Achyra rantalis
Polyphemus moth
Antheraea polyphemus
Painted Tiger Moth
Arachnis picta
Orange Tortrix Moth
Argyrotaenia franciscana