Weir Farm National Historic Site - Multiflora Rose

Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora)is a shrub with arching stems covered with thorns. The leaves are made up of seven to nine leaflets, each sharply toothed. Multiflora rose has white flowers in the spring and red fruits in late summer.

Multiflora rose is native to eastern asia and is a common pasture weed in most of the northeastern and midwestern US. It has been planted as a "living fence" to control livestock and create barriers for highways. It can endure a wide range of soil and environmental conditions and its seeds are viable in the soil for ten to twenty years.