Virginian Rose (rosa virginiana)

• Hardy, low-maintenance species rose with healthy glossy foliage, fragrant single clear-pink flowers (mid–late summer), bright red hips lasting into winter, and strong autumn colour (orange-red-purple). 
• Excellent for wildlife (bees, butterflies, birds), informal/wildlife gardens, coastal sites (salt-tolerant), windy/exposed positions, hedging or thickets. RHS Award of Garden Merit plant.

• Site: Full sun in an open position (east-, west- or south-facing); tolerates exposed or sheltered spots. Avoid waterlogged ground and previous rose sites.
• Soil: Most soils (clay, loam or sand); moist but well-drained or well-drained; any pH. Prefers fertile, humus-rich conditions; flowers better on the drier side.
• Size: Typically 1–1.5 m high and wide (sometimes a little larger); suckering habit forms dense thickets.
• When to plant: Bare-root November–March. 
• How to plant: Dig a generous hole, improve soil with compost/manure if needed, plant at the same depth as in the nursery, water well, and mulch. Space 1–1.5 m apart (closer for a hedge). 
• Aftercare: Mulch and apply a balanced fertiliser in late winter/early spring. Water while establishing. Prune as a shrub rose (remove dead/diseased wood and oldest stems); leave flowers for hips. Control suckers if they become invasive.

Photo credit: magnolia1000 from Canada, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)