Plant Details

Rosa rubiginosa

Sweet Briar, Sweetbriar rose

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Common names

43 names · 28 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Eglantine[2]
  • eglantine rose[2]
  • Sweet Briar[2]
+6 more namesShow fewer names
  • Sweet Brier[2]
  • sweet-briar rose[2]
  • Sweet-brier[2]
  • Sweetbriar[2]
  • Sweetbriar [Rose][1]
  • Sweetbriar rose
Other languages (27)
Dutch
  • Egelantier[2]
French
  • Rosier rouillé[2]
  • Rosier rubigineux[2]
  • Rosier à odeur de pomme[2]
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • Églantier
  • Églantier couleur de rouille[2]
Afrikaans
Arabic
  • ورد ياقوتي[2]
Basque
  • astoarrosa[2]
Catalan
  • roser rubiginós[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 锈红蔷薇[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 鏽紅蔷薇[2]
Czech
  • růže vinná[2]
Danish
  • Æble-rose[2]
Estonian
  • näärmekas kibuvits[2]
Finnish
  • omenaruusu[2]
German
Hungarian
  • rozsdás rózsa[2]
Italian
  • Rosa balsamina[2]
Latvian
  • Smaržlapu roze[2]
Lithuanian
  • Rūdėtasis erškėtis[2]
Norwegian
Polish
  • Róża rdzawa[2]
  • Róża szkocka[2]
Portuguese
  • roseira-ferrugínea[2]
Russian
  • Шиповник красно-бурый[2]
  • Шиповник ржаво-красный[2]
Slovak
  • ruža hrdzavá[2]
Spanish
  • Rosa mosqueta[2]
Swedish
Turkish
Ukrainian
  • Шипшина іржаста[2]
Welsh
  • Drysïen bêr[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Rosa rubiginosa L. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Sweetbriar [Rose] (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 168672; taxon 4TDX3.
  • Wein-Rose (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 168673; taxon 4TDX3.
[2] Rosa rubiginosa — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Sweet-brier — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Sweet Brier — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Sweet briar — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Eglantine — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Rosier rubigineux — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Rosier à odeur de pomme — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Rosier rouillé — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Églantier couleur de rouille — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Sweetbriar — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • eglantine rose — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Wein-Rose — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • růže vinná — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Æble-rose — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Egelantier — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • näärmekas kibuvits — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • eplerose — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • omenaruusu — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Шиповник красно-бурый — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Weinrose — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • sweet-briar rose — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • ورد ياقوتي — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Rūdėtasis erškėtis — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Rosa mosqueta — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • 锈红蔷薇 — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • 鏽紅蔷薇 — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • roseira-ferrugínea — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • äppelros — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Шипшина іржаста — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Wilderoos — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Rosa balsamina — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Róża rdzawa — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Róża szkocka — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • rozsdás rózsa — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Smaržlapu roze — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Drysïen bêr — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • ruža hrdzavá — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Шиповник ржаво-красный — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • astoarrosa — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • roser rubiginós — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.
  • Yitikgül — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 78886; Rosa rubiginosa.

General information

Scientific name: Rosa rubiginosa
Accepted name (Kew): Rosa rubiginosa L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Rosaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Rosa (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Sweet Briar, Sweetbriar rose
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Shrub
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 2.50 m
Spread: 2.50 m
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Deciduous

Leaf retention described in the New England flora.

Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4-8
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Fruit, Flowers, Seed, Stems, Tea
Edibility rating:
(2)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Hedge, Fragrant

Description

Fruit - cooked, is used for making jelly, etc. The flavor is best after frost. The fruit has a diameter of about 25 mm, but there is only a thin layer of flesh around the many seeds. Be cautious when eating this fruit due to possible dangers, see the explanation above. The fruit can be used to make a pleasant fruity flavored tea, rich in vitamin C. Flower petals - raw or cooked. Remove the bitter white base. Used in sweets. Young shoots - raw, are used as soon as they come up in the spring. The seeds are a good source of vitamin E, can be ground into powder, and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement. Make sure the seed hairs are removed.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 15/08
Harvest ends: 31/10

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 846416; name ID 2964569; Rosa L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 364458; name ID 2973528; Rosa rubiginosa L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Rosa rubiginosa

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 1155989, ID 4TDX3: Rosa rubiginosa L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. Native Plant Trust; Go Botany Rosa rubiginosa — Go Botany
    Supports: Foliage
    Relevant sections
    • Foliage: Leaf duration

    Source checked on .