Swamp Rose is grown for its foliage and the structure it brings to a planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 9 and shrugs off deer. Its flowers are a real draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Swamp Rose — the short answer
Swamp Rose: grown in zones 4–9, full sun, pH 5–7.5.
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Hardy to zone 4a — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; USDA PLANTS Database (-33 °F, converted).
- Soil pH
- 5–7.5
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
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 swamp 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 Swamp Rose is
Swamp Rose grows as a perennial and reaches around seven feet at maturity. It blooms pink from spring through summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Swamp Rose
Swamp Rose grows in USDA zones 4 through 9. Swamp Rose does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
4-9
Rated hardy to zone 4a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; USDA PLANTS Database lists -33 °F, converted to zone 4a, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.
Soil pH
5 - 7.5
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
7 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant swamp rose in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Swamp Rose prefers pH 5 to 7.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Keep it in good form
Prune swamp rose to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.
Where Swamp Rose thrives
Swamp Rose is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 9. 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 4–9 spans average winter lows from -30°F to 30°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 33 outright and splits 18 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 4–9·Where Swamp Rose growsOpen map →
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 Swamp Rose stands, state by state
Swamp Rose is rated for zones 4–9 — a cold floor USDA puts at -30 to -20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 33 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 18 more, and 0 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 4–9
33 states
3 of 33 shown
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 Swamp Rose
Growing guides for swamp rose
Good to know
Swamp Rose is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Your land is one point inside Swamp 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 Swamp Rose will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether swamp rose actually takes — we score it against the real 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.
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How we know this about Swamp 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•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Swamp Rose in my zone?
Swamp Rose grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9 (Rated hardy to zone 4a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; USDA PLANTS Database lists -33 °F, converted to zone 4a, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Swamp Rose?
Swamp Rose is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Swamp Rose need?
Swamp Rose needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. 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 Swamp Rose need?
Swamp Rose prefers soil pH 5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Swamp Rose attract pollinators?
Yes — swamp rose's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Keep exploring Swamp Rose
Swamp Rose state by state
Every state swamp rose's zone reaches — 19 link straight to that state's swamp rose growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.