wetland shrub

Swamp rose

Rosa palustris

Native to much of the USA and southern Canada

Nova Scotia to Minnesota, south to Florida and Tennessee

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Moist to wet Moisture preference
Zones 3–9 Cold to heat range
Bloom Jun–Jul Flowering time
Height up to 10 ft to 3.0 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

In the garden

A wetland shrub for sun through shade and consistently moist to wet soil. Its pink flowers peak in July. At up to 10 ft, it needs room in rain gardens, pond edges, and damp low spots. Hardy in USDA zones 3–9.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

When it blooms

The Swamp rose's pink flowers bloom June to July, peaking in July. This midsummer display draws bees and beetles.

Swamp rose blooms pinkFoliage

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee +18 more
Two-spotted Bumble Bee, Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee, Northern Amber Bumble Bee, Golden Sweat Bee, Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Modest Masked Bee, Confusing Furrow Bee, Lucorum-group Bumble Bees, Carinate Armored-Resin bee, Maine Blueberry Bee, Osmia conjuncta, Red-tailed Bumble Bee, Brown-banded Carder-Bumble bee, Forest Cuckoo Bumble bee, Tree Bumble Bee, Garden Bumble Bee, Early Bumble Bee, Common Carder Bumble Bee
Beetles Oriental Beetle

also Banded Longhorn Beetle, Strangalepta Flower Longhorn Beetle, Yellow-horned Flower Longhorn Beetle +5 more
Slender Flower Longhorn Beetle, Falsomordellistena hebraica, Ornate Yellow-marked Buprestid, Greenish Flower Chafer, Strangalia famelica solitaria
Flower flies Margined Calligrapher

also Eastern Calligrapher, Oblique Streaktail, Virginia Giant Hover Fly +2 more
Variable Duskyface Fly, Short-haired Leafwalker
Also visited by
- Butterflies: Pipevine Swallowtail
- Moths: Virginia Creeper Sphinx

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Pipevine swallowtailnectar

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WetlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (30): AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (4): NB, NS, ON, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Nova Scotia to Minnesota, south to Florida and TennesseeThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: Moist to wetThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 3–9 · Canadian 4–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Wet, rich soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 4.0–7.0The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: LowHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Growth & form

Height: up to 10 ft (to 3.0 m)Typical mature height.
Spread: ~7 ft (2 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 18+ in (46+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Jun–JulWhen it flowers.
Flower color: PinkThe bloom color, or colors.
Fruit/Seeds: ripens Jan–DecThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: SlowWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.