Rosa californica
California rose
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Family: Rosaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Rosa californica (California rose) is a native California subshrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by . Key features: large size, shaggy leaf axis hairs, multi-flowered clusters.
California rose is a native shrub found in California Floristic Province (excluding Cascade Ranges, High Sierra Nevada, and Tehachapi Mountains) in generally moist areas, especially streambanks at elevations below 1,800 meters. Flowering from February to November, this plant produces delicate pink flowers 15 to 25 millimeters wide with multiple petals. Growing as a thicket-forming shrub 80 to 250 centimeters tall, it features curved prickles 3 to 15 millimeters long with thick bases. Its compound leaves have 5 to 7 leaflets, with terminal leaflets 15 to 50 millimeters long, ovate-elliptic in shape and featuring single or double-toothed margins. The fruit is an obovoid rose hip 8 to 15 millimeters wide, with persistent erect sepals.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 19 sympatric species. Key features: large size, shaggy leaf axis hairs, multi-flowered clusters.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Generally +- moist areas, especially streambanks
Elevation: < 1800 m
California counties: Santa Barbara, San Diego, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, Lassen, Marin, San Mateo, Solano, Butte, Santa Cruz, Inyo, Lake, Santa Clara, Monterey, Ventura, Napa, Sonoma, Tulare, Mendocino, Alameda, Yuba, Sutter, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Merced, Fresno, San Francisco, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Yolo, Colusa, Placer, Amador, Calaveras, Madera, Modoc, Sacramento, Contra Costa, Trinity, Mariposa, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tehama, Glenn, Shasta, Del Norte
Outside California: southern Oregon, northern Baja California
Bloom period
Rosa californica blooms Feb-Nov.
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 californica native to California?
Yes. Rosa californica is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Rosa californica bloom?
Rosa californica blooms Feb-Nov.
Where in California does Rosa californica grow?
Rosa californica occurs in Santa Barbara, San Diego, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Luis Obispo and other counties, at elevations of < 1800 m.
What plant family does Rosa californica belong to?
Rosa californica is in the Rosaceae family, genus Rosa.
What habitat does Rosa californica grow in?
Rosa californica grows in Generally +- moist areas, especially streambanks.
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.