Rosa Canina Bare Root - Dog Rose
The Dog Rose is Britain's most beloved wild rose, bringing the charm of the countryside into your garden. This native climber produces delicate pink blooms in summer followed by vibrant red rosehips in autumn, offering exceptional value for wildlife. Hardy, disease-resistant, and virtually maintenance-free, this bare root specimen establishes readily and will scramble gracefully through hedges or over structures for years to come.
Key Features
- Native British wildflower – perfectly adapted to our climate
- Delicate beauty – soft pink, lightly scented flowers in early summer
- Abundant rosehips – bright red hips provide autumn and winter colour
- Wildlife superstar – supports over 150 insect species and provides food for birds
- Disease-resistant – far tougher than cultivated roses
- Low maintenance – thrives on neglect once established
- Versatile growth – climbs, scrambles, or forms a shrub
- Bare root format – economical and environmentally friendly, available November to March
Growing Conditions
- Soil type: Tolerates most soils, including chalk, clay, and poor soils; prefers well-drained conditions
- Position: Full sun to partial shade (flowers best in sun)
- Hardiness: Fully hardy (RHS H7)
- Aspect: Any
- Moisture: Well-drained; drought-tolerant once established
Size & Growth
- Mature height: 2-3 metres (can reach 5 metres when climbing through trees)
- Mature spread: 2-3 metres
- Growth rate: Moderate to fast (40-60cm per year)
- Time to maturity: 3-4 years to full size
Planting Your Bare Root Dog Rose
When to plant: November through March, whilst the rose is dormant and the ground isn't frozen
Planting tips:
- Soak roots in water for 2-4 hours before planting
- Dig a hole twice the width of the root system
- Plant at the same depth as the soil mark on the stem (graft union below soil level)
- Space 1.5-2 metres apart for hedging
- Backfill with native soil mixed with well-rotted compost or manure
- Water thoroughly after planting
- Apply a mulch around the base, keeping it clear of the stems
- Provide support if training as a climber
Care & Maintenance
- Water during dry spells in the first growing season
- Apply a general-purpose fertiliser or rose feed in early spring (optional)
- Minimal pruning needed – just remove dead or diseased wood in late winter
- Can be trimmed to shape after flowering if required
- Wear thick gloves when handling – stems have sharp, hooked thorns
- Virtually pest and disease-free
- Once established (after 1-2 years), requires almost no maintenance
Seasonal Interest
Late Spring to Early Summer (May-June): Masses of delicate, five-petalled pink flowers with golden centres, lightly scented
Summer: Fresh green, pinnate foliage creates an attractive backdrop
Autumn: Oval, bright red rosehips develop, providing stunning colour
Winter: Persistent hips continue to provide interest and wildlife food; bare, arching stems create structure
Wildlife Benefits
Dog Rose is one of the most valuable native plants for British wildlife:
- Flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees, hoverflies, and butterflies
- Host plant for numerous moth species and other insects
- Rosehips are rich in vitamin C and eaten by birds including thrushes, blackbirds, and finches
- Dense, thorny growth provides safe nesting sites and shelter
- Supports over 150 species of insect
- Small mammals including dormice and voles eat the hips
Ideal For
- Native hedgerows and wildlife hedges
- Wildlife gardens
- Cottage gardens
- Naturalising in wild areas
- Climbing through trees or over pergolas
- Screening and boundary planting
- Foraging gardens (rosehips for syrups, teas, and jellies)
- Difficult, poor soils
- Low-maintenance gardens
Foraging & Uses
- Rosehips: Rich in vitamin C, can be harvested after the first frost for making syrups, jellies, teas, and wine
- Flowers: Edible petals can be used in salads or to make rose water
- Historical uses: The species name 'canina' comes from the ancient belief that the roots could cure dog bites
Things to Consider
- Stems have sharp, curved thorns – plant away from pathways and wear gloves when handling
- Can be vigorous – may need occasional pruning to keep within bounds
- Will scramble through other plants if left unpruned
- Both flowers and hips are less showy than cultivated roses, but far more wildlife-friendly
- May sucker if roots are disturbed
Design Ideas
- Traditional hedgerow: Combine with hawthorn, blackthorn, and hazel for an authentic country hedge
- Romantic climber: Train through an old apple tree for a natural, cottage-garden look
- Wildlife corridor: Plant alongside other native species to create a haven for birds and insects
- Edible border: Group with other foraging plants like elder and wild strawberry
Why Choose Bare Root?
Bare root roses are lifted from the field during dormancy and supplied without soil around the roots. This traditional method offers several advantages:
- More economical than container-grown plants
- Better root development and stronger establishment
- Lower carbon footprint (no plastic pots or compost)
- Available during the optimal planting season
- Traditional method used by rose growers for centuries
Why Choose Dog Rose?
Unlike cultivated roses, Dog Rose offers:
- Zero maintenance once established
- Excellent disease resistance (no black spot or rust)
- Outstanding wildlife value
- Natural, relaxed beauty
- Historical and cultural significance as Britain's native rose
- Edible harvest of vitamin-rich rosehips
Bring the beauty of the British countryside to your garden with Dog Rose – a native treasure that supports wildlife, requires no fuss, and rewards you with flowers, hips, and natural charm.
For protection from pests consider Shrub Shelters.
Please see our bare root plant guides for more information. We've put together a collect of help and advice articles covering what bare root plants are, why they are a good choice, which plants are available bare root, when and where to plant.
Deciduous plants supplied bare root during the dormancy period will not have any leaves at this time; top growth will just be brown and twiggy to start with and will come into leaf in the spring. This is perfectly normal. The plants we supply are healthy will an extensive root system. Please see the final picture for an illustration of how your plants will look when they are delivered.
Bare Root is usually dispatched between early November and late March. Exact dates vary year to year depending on the weather. We cannot guarantee availability for a certain date at the beginning or end of the season.
Important Bare Root Care
As soon as you receive your bare root plants place the items upright in a bucket of clean water immediately leaving them for at least 2 hours. Only take plants out as you need them for planting.
Q: When is bare root season?
A: Our bare root season usually runs from November to March but it can depend on the weather conditions, we'd always recommend buying at the end of autumn rather than waiting for spring.
Q: Does the plant size include the roots?
A: No, all bare root plant sizes quoted exclude the roots.
Q: What size plants will I receive?
A: Stock size varies through the season, our 'Plant Size' are give as a guide and you will receive plants somewhere in that range. We are unable to specify exactly how tall the plants will be within that range.
Q: How old will the plants be?
A: Most of our 'Plant Sizes' include the age of the plant, this is shown as a sum e.g. 1+2 which in this case would indicate that the plants are 3 years old. The first number is how long the plant has spent in the seedbed and the second is the number of year it has spent lined out in the field. Where the sum starts with a 0+ this indicates that the plants were grown from a rooted cutting.
Q: Can I get a discount for bulk purchases?
A: We offer a discount banding on bare root plants making them cheaper the more you buy, see the table on each page for details of the price within each band.
Q: Do I need canes?
A: Bamboo canes are perfect for giving young saplings, hedging plants, climbers and other tall shrubs the support they need when they start to establish. Unless you are planting in a completely sheltered spot with very little chance of wind then we would always recommend using a cane for support.
Q: Do I need rabbit guards?
A: Spiral Rabbit Guards are the most popular, low cost tree protection for young saplings, seedlings, transplants and hedging plants from browsing animals such as voles, mice, rabbits and hares. Spiral Rabbit Guards have the ability to grow and expand with the growing tree, providing a sheltered environment for the tree. It's hard to say for certain if you will require the extra protection a rabbit guard provides, if your are aware of a particular pest problem in your planting location then we would recommend using them. Rabbit Guards are not suitable for 'evergreens' please see 'Shrub Shelters' for a suitable evergreen protection method.
Q: What is a shrub/tree shelter?
A: Shrub/Tree Shelters are similar to rabbit guards but are designed for use on evergreens that would sweat and die in rabbit guards. We supply shrub/tree shelters as a kit which includes the shelter, 1 Stake and 2 cable ties, one kit is required per plant.
Q: Do I need shrub/tree shelters?
A: If you are aware of any specific pest problems in your planting area then we would recommend using a shrub/tree shelter to give your young trees or hedging plants that extra protection.
Rose Types
Hybrid Tea Roses (HT)
Hybrid Tea roses are probably the most popular group of roses, available in both bush and standard form they have long flower stems and shapely blooms. Blooms are typically medium to large in size, with many petals which form a distinct central cone.
Floribunda Roses (FL)
Floribunda roses bears its flowers in clusters or trusses, with several blooms open at time in each truss. A popular choice the Floribunda rose group is unrivalled for colour, reliability and longevity as a bedding display however the flower form in generally inferior to the Hybrid Tea.
Patio Roses (PATIO)
Patio roses were introduced in the 1980’s and the group now contains several popular varieties. Generally low-growing roses that were once grouped with the Floribuna group but have now been put in their own group of compact versions. Usually growing about 50cm high they make excellent plants for patio containers or at the front of borders.
Climbing Roses (CLM)
Climbing roses as the name suggests are the perfect choice for covering a wall or screen. Often grouped together with Ramblers, Climbers tend to have stiffer stems, larger flowers but smaller trusses than Ramblers.
Rambling Roses (RAM)
Rambling roses are often grouped with Climbing Roses but the ramblers tend to have a more pliable stems that can be used to run along the soil to use as groundcover or can be used to make weeping standards.
Miniature Roses (MINI)
Miniature roses have increased in popularity in recent years due to their versatility, even grown indoors as temporary pot plants that grow to a maximum height of 40cm. An ideal choice for planting in tubs, edging beds and rockeries.
English Roses (ENG)
Often referred to as Austin or David Austin Roses, English roses are hybrids of old English roses and more modern varieties bread by David Austin to provide the best of both, mixing old rose shapes and scents with more modern colour range, compact habits and repeat flowering.
Planting Advice
Roses like a generous root space, so dig a deep hole approximately twice as wide as the current root system, preferably adding composted organic matter to the soil. Never plant into frozen soil – in winter, await a frost-free period. Carefully remove the pot and gently tease the roots apart to spread them around the hole. Position the plant so that the ‘bud point’ (the place where the shoots emerge from, where the cultivated rose was grafted onto the rootstock) is at soil level. Replace the soil, firming it down gently, then water copiously. Ideally, a general purpose fertiliser should be applied to the surrounding soil as a top dressing. We also highly recommend the use of Rose Rootgrow, which provides a friendly fungus that prevents ‘rose replant syndrome’.
Buying our Roses
Pot Size
Most of our roses are supplied in a 4 litre pot although this may vary slightly depending on rose variety. If the size of pot differes significatly from 4 litres then we will make this clear somewhere on the product page.
Seasonality
Our roses are grown outdoors and as such are subject to seasonal changes. As we sell potted stock throughout the year your rose may not arrive and look like you expect it to. If you are uncertain how your rose will arrive (especially if buying for a gift) then we suggest you contact us prior to making a purchase.
Freshly Potted
Each year a new batch of roses is potted up ready for the following season. Once potted (usually November/December time) they go on sale as 'Freshly Potted'. If you purchase a freshly potted rose and plant it soon after you will find that when removing the rose from the pot there will be a lot of loose soil as the roots will not have had time to grow and bind the compost.
Pruned/Cut Back
In autumn the majority of our roses have finished flowering and begin to look untidy, at this point we prune them quite hard in preparation for the following season. We continue to sell roses throughout the year, when a rose has been pruned in such a way we will identify it has being so. If you are not sure what to expect then please ask prior to making a purchase. Some garden centres/supermarkets sell stock that has been grown abroad or in poly-tunnels so they look 'picture perfect' out of season, while this is ideal for a gift they are short lived once planted.
Aftercare
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