Nootka Rose

Rosa nutkana

Nootka Rose is the largest-flowered native rose in North America, producing blooms up to 3 inches across in a rich, deep pink-to-rose color with a delicate fragrance. It is a robust shrub of Pacific Coast habitats, with distinctive paired thorns at the base of each leaf node. The large, round, bright red hips are among the biggest of any native rose and were a staple food of Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, eaten fresh, dried, or processed into a paste. It is one of the most characteristic shrubs of Pacific Coast prairies and Garry oak ecosystems.

Habitat

Pacific Coast prairies, Garry oak woodlands, forest edges, stream banks, and open slopes from Alaska to California.

Diet

Large hips eaten by Black Bears, deer, and many bird species including Bohemian Waxwings; large flowers attract bumble bees and native bees.

How common

Common