| Multiflora rose is a viciously thorny plant that persists in shade, awaiting the day when a tree falls and it can grow
vigorously. It may form immense and impenetrable thickets, and many a woodland has become literally impassable to humans
because of multiflora rose infestations. It can easily be distinguished from native roses because it has white flowers
(natives all are pink) which are smaller, and it has many of them to a branch. It forms rose hips that are then
eaten by birds and the seeds are spread in bird feces. This plant may grow as straggling canes in the woods, as huge bushes in the sun, or as climbing vines in borders and hedgerows. It was promoted as a hedgerow plant for American farmers, which engineered its rapid spread across the eastern United States, and is now one of our greatest headaches. |
Eradication tips:
Cut the canes and pull them free, then use a mattock, grub hoe or shovel to dig out the roots. It may be difficult to
get all the roots, so check for new sprouts the following year. If you find plants that have diseased branch tips,
sick with a virus that turns them bright red, clip those branch tips off infected plants (but not all of them), and drop
them into healthy plants.
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