Climbing prairie rose (Rosa setigera) COSEWIC assessment and status report addendum: chapter 11

Limiting factors and threats and Special significance of the species

Limiting factors and threats

Four sites have been completely or mostly lost due to incompatible urban development since the 1986 status report. Others have been lost or put in jeopardy by insensitive management of the sites with regard to their natural heritage. Some populations that once occurred along rail lines are now in decline as these have been converted to trails and the vegetation that was once controlled on a regular basis is now allowed to proliferate, making the site less favourable to this species. Similar natural successional processes have also reduced a once significant core population to a few senescent individuals (no. 19, Malden); other smaller populations have experienced similar declines.

Special significance of the species

In Canada, Rosa setigera is limited to extreme southwestern Ontario, Essex and adjacent counties. It is the only native climbing rose, is unusual for a rose in being dioecious and has flowers that are very showy. There are no citations for the use of this species on the Native American Ethnobotany Database website. However, there are numerous listings of other rose species for various medicinal purposes so this species may have been used in a similar manner.

Climbing prairie rose is occasionally available in the specialty native plant horticultural trade.

Page details

Date modified: