Rosa nutkana
Nootka rose
(c) Steph Cárdenas, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Rosa nutkana (Nootka rose) is a native California subshrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by Big solitary flowers; stout paired infrastipular prickles 10-20 mm; N coastal/Cascade.
Nootka rose is a native shrub found in thickets and forest edges, forming dense clusters across Pacific Northwest regions at elevations from 0 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces soft pink flowers 15 to 25 millimeters wide with delicate, slightly overlapping petals. Growing 1.5 to 2 meters tall with distinctive curved or straight prickles 10 to 20 millimeters long, it develops into spreading, dense thicket-forming shrubs. Its compound leaves feature 5 to 7 leaflets, with terminal leaflets 15 to 50 millimeters long, wide-elliptic in shape and slightly hairy along the leaf axis. The fruit develops as a spherical rose hip 13 to 20 millimeters wide, with persistent erect sepals and multiple small achenes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Big solitary flowers; stout paired infrastipular prickles 10-20 mm; N coastal/Cascade
Habitat and range
California counties: Humboldt, Del Norte, Fresno, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Marin, Sonoma
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 nutkana native to California?
Yes. Rosa nutkana is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Rosa nutkana grow?
Rosa nutkana occurs in Humboldt, Del Norte, Fresno, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Marin, Sonoma.
What plant family does Rosa nutkana belong to?
Rosa nutkana is in the Rosaceae family, genus Rosa.
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.