Rugosa Rose is a perennial grown for its red blooms, which open in mid spring and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 2 through 10, shrugs off deer and shrugs off dry spells. Its mid spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Rugosa Rose — the short answer
Rugosa Rose: grown in zones 2–10, full sun, pH 5.5–7.5.
- USDA zones
- 2–10
- Hardy to zone 2a — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
- USDA NRCS PLANTS Database
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Converted from NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Which pests actually threaten rugosa rose where you grow?
Japanese beetle is only documented in part of the country, so the answer depends on where you plant. Enter your location and we'll tell you which one reaches your land — and the move that beats it.
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What Rugosa Rose is
Rugosa Rose grows as a perennial and reaches around five feet at maturity. It blooms red in mid spring. It's also deer-resistant.
Deer resistance: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
How to grow Rugosa Rose
Rugosa Rose grows in USDA zones 2 through 10. Rugosa Rose does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
2-10
Rated hardy to zone 2a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.
Soil pH
5.5 - 7.5
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
Converted from NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Drainage
well (dry spells)
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Cold Hardiness
-33°F
The coldest temperature this plant is documented to survive.
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database
Mature Height
5 ft
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database
Start the season right
Plant rugosa rose in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Match the soil
Rugosa Rose prefers pH 5.5 to 7.5 (USDA NRCS PLANTS Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water while it roots in
Water deeply while rugosa rose establishes, letting the soil dry between soakings; once its roots are in, it rides out dry spells on its own.
Harvest at its peak
Cut rugosa rose blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Rugosa Rose thrives
On hardiness alone, rugosa rose grows across most of the country — its range (USDA zones 2 through 10) is unusually wide. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 2–10 spans average winter lows from -50°F to 40°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 47 outright and splits 4 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 2–10·Where Rugosa Rose growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Rugosa Rose stands, state by state
Rugosa Rose is rated for zones 2–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at -50 to -40°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 47 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 4 more, and 0 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 2–10
47 states
3 of 47 shown
The line runs through
4 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Florida · zones 8b-12a
3 of 4 shown
Rugosa Rose’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Rugosa Rose
Growing guides for rugosa rose
Good to know
Rugosa Rose offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land is one point inside Rugosa Rose's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Rugosa Rose will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether rugosa rose actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Rugosa Rose
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Rugosa Rose in my zone?
Rugosa Rose grows in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 10 (Rated hardy to zone 2a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Rugosa Rose?
Time rugosa rose to your own season rather than the calendar. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Rugosa Rose need?
Rugosa Rose needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Rugosa Rose need?
Rugosa Rose prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (USDA NRCS PLANTS Database). Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Rugosa Rose attract pollinators?
Yes — rugosa rose's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Keep exploring Rugosa Rose
Rugosa Rose state by state
Every state rugosa rose's zone reaches — 38 link straight to that state's rugosa rose growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.