Rosa canina
Dog rose
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Subshrub · Not Native
Rosa canina (Dog rose) is a non-native California subshrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by . Key features: non-native, toothed sepal lobes, reflexed deciduous sepals, pale flowers.
Dog rose is a naturalized shrub found in northwestern California and northern Sierra Nevada in dry open areas at elevations of 100 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to pale pink flowers 15 to 30 millimeters wide with delicate petals. Growing as a thicket-forming shrub 80 to 400 centimeters tall, it features distinctive curved prickles 3 to 10 millimeters long with thick bases. Its leaves typically have 5 to 7 leaflets, with the terminal leaflet 15 to 40 millimeters long, ovate in shape and widest below the middle with single-toothed margins. The fruit develops as an ellipsoid rose hip 10 to 20 millimeters wide with reflexed sepals.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 18 sympatric species. Key features: non-native, toothed sepal lobes, reflexed deciduous sepals, pale flowers.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Generally +- dry open areas
Elevation: 100-1500 m
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Utah, also eastern United States, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Rosa canina blooms May-Jul.
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 canina native to California?
No. Rosa canina is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Rosa canina bloom?
Rosa canina blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Rosa canina belong to?
Rosa canina is in the Rosaceae family, genus Rosa.
What habitat does Rosa canina grow in?
Rosa canina grows in Generally +- dry open areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.