Swamp Rose

Rosa palustris

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Rosa genus supports 121 lepidoptera species as caterpillar host plants in the region, making it a keystone genus for moth and butterfly biodiversity. Top associates include large silkmoths (Polyphemus, Cecropia, Io) and sphinx moths (Apple Sphinx, White-lined Sphinx).
S13
🐛 Larval Host: Sphinx gordius, Synchlora aerata, Hyles lineata, Xanthotype sospeta, Campaea perlata, Paonias excaecatus, Lophocampa caryae, Schizura concinna, Antheraea polyphemus, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma
S13+S15 12 verified Eastern NA
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Andrena melanochroa, Hylaeus basalis
S17 Rosaceae oligoleges; ranges include eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Persistent rose hips provide winter food for Ruffed Grouse, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Cedar Waxwing, Swainson's Thrush, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, and Northern Mockingbird. Small mammals including White-footed Mouse and Woodland Deer Mouse also consume hips. Dense thorny stems provide winter cover and nesting structure for songbirds.
S57 genus-level diet data; S10 specific wildlife observations

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) and secure in Ontario (S5), but ranked Vulnerable (S3) in Quebec, indicating limited and potentially declining populations in the province. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Quebec populations are concentrated in the southern Laurentians and Estrie regions.
S22 G5, S3 QC; S26 not SARA listed; S48 QC specimen distribution
Rarity Ranks: QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: An obligate wetland shrub of acidic swamps, bogs, fens, and marshy lake and river margins. In the Outaouais, found in minerotrophic fens and lakeshores on peat and muck substrates. Associates with Myrica gale, Chamaedaphne calyculata, and Cornus amomum in shrub-dominated wetland margins. An indicator species of high-quality wetlands.
S10 wetland indicator; S7 bogs, wet conifer swamps; S12 shallow waters; S48 fen habitat at Lac Sinclair

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S10 keyword match: prickl (supporting signal only); S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, pp. 149)]
Notes: A thorny wetland shrub providing structural diversity and wildlife fortress function in wet guild plantings. Its rhizomatous habit creates a moderate colony useful as a living barrier along water margins. Pairs well with other wetland shrubs and can anchor the shrub layer in riparian restoration or rain garden edges where seasonal flooding occurs.
S29 cultivation details; S10 habitat; S72 wildlife habitat role

Category: Anthelmintic, Antidiarrheal
S28 Cherokee Drug categories
Notes: Cherokee traditional medicine: infusion of bark and root used as anthelmintic (for worms); decoction of roots taken for dysentery (antidiarrheal). Rose hips contain high levels of vitamin C, useful for immune support.
S28 Moerman NAEB; S29 vitamin C

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: Rose hips are edible raw or cooked, fleshy and tart, about 20 mm diameter. Rich in vitamin C. Not commonly eaten but historically used as a supplementary food source. USDA rates human palatability as none.
S29 fruit description; S11 Palatable Human=No