Native roses of Québec

Wild roses are erect, arching, or trailing shrubs. Their stems are typically covered in straight or curved prickles, and their woody stems harden as they mature. Some species are nearly thornless. Québec’s native roses grow between 0.5 metres and 1.5 metres high.

The leaves are alternate and made up of 3 to 9 folioles, and sometimes have a stipule (a modified leaf at the base of the petiole). The leaflets generally have serrated edges and are sometimes glandular or pubescent (covered in hairs). The surface of the leaf blade can be rough or smooth. The colour of the leaves varies between species, from pale, matte variants of green to dark, shiny greens with blue or red undertones.

New growth often produces flowers. Each flower is made up of five separate petals and numerous stamens that are solitary or grouped together. The fleshy fruits, called rose hips, are accessory fruits that result from a hypertrophied floral receptacle. The latter contains the real fruits, called achenes, that do not open at maturity. Rose hips start out green and change colour as they ripen, becoming red or orange.

The genus Rosa is highly variable and remarkable from a biological standpoint because of hybridization (the crossing of rose varieties), polyploidy (multiple sets of chromosomes), and the numerous species that exist.