Rosa rugosa 'Rubra' (Ru)
red Japanese rose
'Rubra' is a vigorous medium-sized shrub with prickly stems and glossy, strongly veined leaves turning yellow in autumn. Fragrant, single, deep magenta-pink flowers 9cm wide are fragrant in summer and autumn are followed by large scarlet hips
Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
1–1.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Pink | Green | Red | |
| Autumn | Pink | Yellow | Red | |
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- Genus
Rosa can be deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs or scrambling climbers, with usually thorny stems bearing compound pinnate leaves and solitary or clustered flowers. Flowers may be followed by showy red or purple fruits in some varieties.
- Name status
Accepted
- Horticultural Group
- Rugosa roses are upright shrubs with very prickly stems bearing handsome, glossy, wrinkled foliage and fragrant, single or semi-double flowers in summer and autumn, often followed by large, tomato-like red hips
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in full sun with fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. For best flowering apply a balanced fertiliser and mulch in late winter or early spring and a balanced fertiliser again in early summer - see rose cultivation. Tolerant of poor soil and shade; suitable for hedging
Propagation
Propagate by hardwood cuttings in autumn or by chip budding in summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Coastal
- Flower borders and beds
- Hedging and screens
Pruning
Pruning group 20 (roses)
Pests
aphids, rose leafhopper, glasshouse red spider mite, scale insects, caterpillars, large rose sawfly and rose leaf-rolling sawfly may be a problem. Deer and rabbits can cause damage
Diseases
May be affected by black spot, rose rust and rose powdery mildew
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.