Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

With charming open-faced blooms in shades of pink that range from near-white to magenta, the California Wildrose (Rosa californica), a native rose species, adds beauty to any garden or landscape. Its fragrant flowers bloom abundantly through spring and summer. The flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators. In fall, it produces deep red rose hips that provide food for birds.

California Wildrose is easy to grow. It can tolerate low-water conditions but benefits from supplemental irrigation, especially during summer. It grows in different soil types, although it does best in moist, loamy soil. This shrub can form large thickets, making it a good choice for barrier planting. Pruning is not necessary when it has room to grow. Otherwise, light shaping keeps it from overgrowing small spaces.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

8 - 10 ft Tall
10 ft Wide

Form

Rounded, Mounding, Spreading

Growth rate

Moderate, Fast

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Fragrance

Pleasant

Calscape icon
Color

Red, Pink, White

Flowering season

Summer, Spring

Special uses

Hedge

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade, Deep Shade

Water

Low

Summer irrigation

Max 3x / month once established

Ease of care

Easy

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to -10° F

Soil drainage

Medium, Slow

Soil description

Tolerates clay but does best in moist loamy soil.
Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Maintenance

It is typically used where it can expand at will and pruning is not needed. If used near a walkway or driveway, it may need annual pruning to keep it neat and under control.

Sunset Zones

2, 5, 6, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Moist places and streambanks, springs, seeps, seasonal drainages

Plant communities

Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Valley Grassland, Yellow Pine Forest, Wetland-Riparian

Bats
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

2 confirmed and 70 likely

Confirmed Likely

Acleris keiferi

Gray Hairstreak

Strymon melinus

Garden Webworm Moth

Achyra rantalis

Brittania Moth

Acleris britannia