**Hedgehog Rose, Rosa rugosa Rubra - Shrub**

Rosa rugosa Rosa rugosa, hedgehog rose

A versatile and worthy addition to any garden. With the minimum of attention and being highly resistant to all of the usual rose problems, this rose will produce masses of fragrant, single, yellow-centred flowers from July to September. These are followed in the autumn by attractive, tomato-shaped, red or orange-red rose-hips.

Vigorous and repeat-flowering. Can be used as a part of a mixed border, as a hedge or as a apart of a wild garden. Vivid green wrinkled (rugose) leaves turn a butter color in the autumn and the hips are the source of much excitement amongst various finches and other small seed-eating birds.

Zones: 3-8S/3-9W

Position: full sun or partial shade

Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil, but not very fussy.

Rate of growth: fast-growing

Flowering period: July to September

Flower color: purple / pink /red - or white (the alba variety)

	Other features: excellent cut-flowers, incredibly prickly stems, a good security plant
	Garden care: Before planting shorten thick roots to 25cm (10in) and reduce top-growth to an outward-facing bud 8-15cm (3-6in) above ground-level.

Height and spread: 2m x 2m (6ft x 6ft), rather open growth, good security barrier, not so good visual barrier (easy to see through)

Uses - Hedging / mixed border / wild garden

Planting distance when used for hedging	Clipped height	Number of times to clip per season and when	Responds to renovation?
30-45cm, 12-18"	1.5m, 5ft	1, spring	Yes

Pruning: Prune in the dormant season from autumn after the leaves have fallen to spring before the buds break. If there are hips still on the stems, leave them for the birds and prune when all have been eaten. Trim old stems back as desired and remove the occasional (1 in 4 or 5) stem completely. Can be renovated by taking out stems completely, leaving one in two or three longer but trim these by up to a half of their length.

Hedging plants | Plants