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Rugose Rose (Bundle of 3) | Spring 2027
$74.99
Reliable shipping
Flexible returns
Ripening
Will it finish before your first hard freeze?
Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)
Disease resistanceResists 2 of 2
- 4 Black spot : Resistant, 4 of 5
- 4 Powdery mildew : Resistant, 4 of 5
Scored 1 to 5. Higher resists better, and ? means no published data yet.
See it on our native and shade tree disease chart (opens in a new tab)At a glance: Rugose Rose is a rose shrub rated hardy to zone 2 in our ratings (winters to -50°F), and self-fertile, so one plant can crop.
| Also called | Rugosa rose, beach rose, Japanese rose (Rosa rugosa) |
|---|---|
| Hardy to | Zone 2 to 7. A bare number means the whole of zone 2, colder half included (winters to -50°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator. |
| Chill hours | About 700 hours (400 to 1,000). Our estimate. No published figure exists for this variety yet. Montana winters give it plenty. In milder climates, make sure your winters average at least this much. Check your chill hours or see our sources. |
| Pollination | Self-Fertile. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), early summer here. Rugosa rose is self-fertile, so a single plant sets hips, though bees moving pollen between plants can boost the crop. Its long summer bloom feeds bees, especially bumblebees, but it is not an orchard pollenizer. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Pollination Charts. |
| Good for | Ornamental value (8/10), windbreaks and hedgerows (8/10), jams and jellies (7/10), juice and sweet cider (7/10), pollinators (7/10), feeding wildlife (6/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists. |
| Deer | Sometimes damaged by deer. |
| What you get | Bare root, 18-24". Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out. |
Overview
Rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa) is a resilient, cold-hardy shrub rose widely used in landscapes and natural plantings for its fragrant flowers and showy rose hips.
Origin and History
Rugosa rose is native to eastern Asia, including northeastern China, Japan, Korea, and southeastern Siberia. It was introduced to Europe and North America in the 1800s, where it became popular for ornamental plantings and coastal stabilization before naturalizing in many regions. The species name rugosa refers to the wrinkled texture of the leaves.
Flowers, Hips & Uses
Rugosa rose produces fragrant flowers in shades of pink to white, typically in early to mid-summer, with blooms that may continue intermittently through the season. The plant forms large, round orange-red hips in late summer and fall that are rich in vitamin C and used for making jams, jellies, syrups, and herbal teas. Birds and wildlife also feed on the hips through fall and winter.
Growth Habit & Spacing
This species is a multi-stemmed, suckering shrub that typically reaches 4–6 feet tall and wide. It spreads by suckers to form dense thickets if not managed, making it useful for hedges, windbreaks, erosion control, and wildlife habitat. Rugosa rose is tolerant of a wide range of soils, including sandy, clay, and poor soils, and is also salt-spray and drought tolerant once established.
Pollination
Rugosa rose blooms are insect-pollinated and the species is generally considered self-fertile, meaning a single plant can set hips on its own. Cross-pollination with other roses may increase hip set and diversity of seed, but is not required for fruit production.
Cold Hardiness
Rugosa rose is exceptionally cold-hardy for a woody ornamental. and can survive well into the -40F range. Solid zone 2, even quite possibly zone 1 in a well protected spot with good air drainage/no frost pooling. Can grow in vast majority of Montana.
Questions we get about Rugose Rose
Does Rugose Rose need a pollenizer?
No. Rugose Rose is self-fertile, so a single tree can set fruit. Rugosa rose is self-fertile, so a single plant sets hips, though bees moving pollen between plants can boost the crop. Its long summer bloom feeds bees, especially bumblebees, but it is not an orchard pollenizer.
How cold hardy is Rugose Rose?
We rate Rugose Rose hardy to zone 2, which means winters down to about -50°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.
How many chill hours does Rugose Rose need?
About 700 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 400 and 1,000. Nobody has published a chill figure for it, so that's our estimate from its relatives and origin. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.
What is Rugose Rose good for?
Our top use scores for Rugose Rose are ornamental value (8/10), windbreaks and hedgerows (8/10), jams and jellies (7/10), juice and sweet cider (7/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.
Is Rugose Rose disease resistant?
Yes. It's resistant to black spot and powdery mildew. Our native and shade tree disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.
Will deer eat Rugose Rose?
Sometimes. Deer browse Rugose Rose now and then, so protect young plants where deer pressure is high.
What arrives, and when does Rugose Rose ship?
A dormant bare-root plant, roots wrapped in moist sawdust with a vapor barrier, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring. Sizes offered: 18-24". We guarantee our plants bud out. Stone fruits can be slow, so if one still has not budded out by August 15, write to us and we credit you for the following spring.