Carolina Rose is a low, suckering native rose growing 1–3 feet tall in dry to moist open habitats across eastern North America. It produces fragrant pink flowers in late spring and early summer, followed by small, round, bright-red rose hips that persist through winter. Unlike many roses, it thrives in dry, sandy, or rocky soils. Carolina Rose provides important food and cover for wildlife throughout the year and is excellent for stabilizing eroding slopes.
Best time to see a Carolina Rose
The best time to see a Carolina Rose is May–June, when about 73% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 6,471 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Carolina Rose? What plant is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Carolina Rose sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Carolina Rose? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.
Get HuckGet an alert when a Carolina Rose is spotted
Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.
Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.
Love plants? Get Huck field notes
Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.