Roberta F. · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dog rose
Shrub·Rosa canina
Full sun
Sun
Medium
Water
Moist soil
Drainage
Zones 3–10
Hardiness
Dog rose (Rosa canina) is a shrub. It grows best in full sun and has moderate water needs.
Through the year
DormantLeafing outFloweringFruiting
Works well with
from wiki dataNo companions recorded.
WHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs moderate water
Tolerates moist soil, as long as it drains well
Prefers soil pH 5.5–7.5
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Prefers loam, clay, sand soil
Tolerates some soil compaction
Draws up potassium, calcium from deep in the soil
Adds a moderate amount of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives mulch biomass (medium)
Gives nectar (attracts pollinators)
Gives fruit (food for wildlife)
Provides potassium
Provides calcium
Attracts pollinators
Attracts birds
Shelters wildlife
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Shrub layer
Height100–500 cm
Spacing200 cm (min 150 cm)
Root depthMedium
Width100–300 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by seeds, cuttings, division
Difficulty
Establishes in about 2 yr
Self-seeds readily on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed11 Sept 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph Roberta F. · CC BY-SA 3.0