Rosa bridgesii
Sierran dwarf rose, Sierran Dwarf Rose
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Rosa bridgesii (Sierran dwarf rose) is a native California subshrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by . Key features: dwarf habit, paired prickles, truncate leaflet tips.
Sierran dwarf rose is a California native shrub found in the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada in open forest and rocky areas at elevations of 700 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces pink to red flowers 10 to 20 millimeters wide with delicate petals. Growing as a dwarf shrub 10 to 40 centimeters tall with few prickles 3 to 10 millimeters long, it spreads through open rhizomes. Its leaves have 5 to 7 leaflets, with terminal leaflets 10 to 30 millimeters long, widely obovate and double-toothed with glandular margins. The fruit is an ovoid rose hip 7 to 14 millimeters wide, bearing persistent erect sepals.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 15 sympatric species. Key features: dwarf habit, paired prickles, truncate leaflet tips.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open forest, rocky areas
Elevation: 700-2500 m
California counties: Tulare, Butte, Plumas, El Dorado, Nevada, Fresno, San Bernardino, Tuolumne, Placer, Mariposa, Kern, Yuba, Madera, Alpine, Sierra, Merced, Shasta, Siskiyou, Calaveras, Tehama, Lassen, Amador, Trinity
Outside California: southern Oregon
Bloom period
Rosa bridgesii blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Camellia: Rosa has compound leaves with multiple leaflets; Camellia has single undivided glossy leaves.; vs Carpenteria: Rosa has thorny stems and compound leaves; Carpenteria is thornless with simple opposite leaves.; vs Hibiscus: Rosa has compound leaves and thorny stems; Hibiscus has simple palmate leaves, thornless.; vs Dahlia: Rosa is woody with thorns; Dahlia is herbaceous without thorns.; vs Cistus: Rosa has compound leaves with 5-9 leaflets; Cistus has simple undivided leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rosa bridgesii native to California?
Yes. Rosa bridgesii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Rosa bridgesii bloom?
Rosa bridgesii blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Rosa bridgesii grow?
Rosa bridgesii occurs in Tulare, Butte, Plumas, El Dorado, Nevada, Fresno, San Bernardino, Tuolumne and other counties, at elevations of 700-2500 m.
What plant family does Rosa bridgesii belong to?
Rosa bridgesii is in the Rosaceae family, genus Rosa.
What habitat does Rosa bridgesii grow in?
Rosa bridgesii grows in Open forest, rocky areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.