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Federal Noxious Weed TDA Noxious Weed TPWD Prohibited Exotic Species 
Invasive Plant Atlas of the USNOTE:
means species is on that list.
Rosa bracteata
Macartney rose
Synonym(s):
Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Duration and Habit: Perennial Shrub
Photographer: Bransford, W.D. Mrs.
Source: NPIN
Description
Evergreen. Erect climbing, arching, or trailing shrubs to 10 feet (3 m) in height or length. Clump forming. Frequent recurved and straight thorns. Leaves are alternate and pinnately compound with toothed margins. Each leaflet is 1 - 3 in. long. Flowers occur in small clusters, and are white and 5-petaled, with many yellow anthers in the center. Hips (fruit) are round and fleshy, 0.25 - 0.4 in. in diameter, green or yellow but ripening to red.
Native Lookalikes: Currently no information available here yet, or there are no native Texas species that could be confused with Macartney rose.
Ecological Threat: Macartney rose forms dense thickets, displacing native grasses such as the endangered white bladderpod, and altering native wildlife habitat. Greatly decreases forage productivity of cattle pasture and adds to the economic burden of land managers.
Biology & Spread: Vegetative sprouting from the stem base and stem rooting results in onsite colonization. Spreads primarily via dispersal of seeds by both birds and cattle. Seeds readily germinate from cattle feces. Flowers April to June, and fruits July to December.
Individual plants of Macartney rose form dense clumps several yards in diameter and as high as 10 feet, later coalescing to form dense thickets.
History: Introduced from Asia. Traditionally planted as ornamentals, livestock containment, and wildlife habitat. Brought to southeast Texas in the past century for use as a natural hedge row. Spread to pastures and ranges by cattle and bird-dispersed seeds.
U.S. Habitat: Form small-to-large infestations often climbing up into trees. Colonize by prolific sprouting and stems that root, and spread by animal-dispersed seeds. Prefers clayey soil. Grows in disturbed areas including cattle rangeland, right-of-ways, fence lines, drainage ditches, and river bottoms. Can spread to the understories of open forests.
Distribution
U.S. Nativity: Introduced to U.S.
Native Origin: China (); NatureServe Explorer
U.S. Present: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA
Distribution in Texas: Reported throughout central, eastern and northern Texas. Occurs in the Lower Galveston Bay watershed, including natural areas such as the prairies of the Armand Bayou Nature Center.
Mapping
Invaders of Texas Map: Rosa bracteata
EDDMapS: Rosa bracteata
USDA Plants Texas County Map: Rosa bracteata
Invaders of Texas Observations
List All Observations of Rosa bracteata reported by Citizen Scientists
Native Alternatives
Texas alternatives include:
Purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)
Scarlet mallow (Hibiscus laevis)
Rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Management
Cultural: Do not plant. Remove prior plantings, and control sprouts and seedlings. Bag and dispose of fruit in a dumpster or burn.
Mechanical: Cut and bulldoze when fruit are not present. Manual pulling is hindered by thorny branches and is limited to new seedlings. Pull new seedlings and tree wrench saplings when soil is moist, ensuring removal of all roots.
Chemical: Treat when new plants are young to prevent seed formation. For range conditions, apply herbicide such as 2,4-D + picloram directly to plant during the spring. Cattle that have been feeding on hips (fruits) should not be moved to uninfested pasture for risk of seed spread.
Text References
Alfred Rehder. 1967. Manual of Cultivated Trees and Shrubs: Hardy in North America, The MacMillan Co., New York.
Miller, J.H. 2003. Nonnative invasive plants of southern forests: a field guide for identification and control. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-62. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 93 pp (USDA SRS).
The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Plants of the Galveston Bay Area (www.galvbayinvasives.org). Lisa Gonzalez and Jeff DallaRosa. Houston Advanced Research Center, 2006.
Online Resources
Search Online
Google Search: Rosa bracteata
Google Images: Rosa bracteata
NatureServe Explorer: Rosa bracteata
USDA Plants: Rosa bracteata
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States: Rosa bracteata
Bugwood Network Images: Rosa bracteata
