Cherokee Rose
Rosa laevigata
Found in roadsides, moist forests. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you
-15
Harmful
Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 82%
- Height
- 15–33 feet
- Spread
- 3–4 feet
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Usually moist
Do not plant. Listed invasive in Alabama.
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At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- March to June
- Fruiting season
- September to October
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Recorded in 19 Alabama counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 2
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
92CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL
Genus host records with ranges including AL · Rosa
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
- Acleris semipurpuranaOak Leaf Shredder, Oak Leaftier, Oak Leafshredder
- Acrobasis indigenellaLeaf Crumpler
- Acronicta clarescensClear Dagger
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Acronicta longaLong-Winged Dagger, Darkish Dagger
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- Ancylis floridanaStrawberry Leafroller
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
Show all 92
- Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia ivanaIvana Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Artace cribrariusDot-Lined White Moth
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
- Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
- Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
- Cerma cerinthaTufted Bird-Dropping Moth, Cherry Agate
- Chloridea subflexaSubflexus Straw, Groundcherry Sun Moth
- Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
- Coptotriche aeneaBlackberry Leafminer Moth
- Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
- Cryptothelea gloveriiOrange Bagworm
- Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
- Derrima stellataPink Star
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
- Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
- Euchlaena obtusariaObtuse Euchlaena
- Eulithis diversilineataLesser Grapevine Looper Moth
- Glena cognatariaBlueberry Gray
- Grapholita packardiCherry Fruit Worm
- Hedya separatanaPink-Washed Leafroller Moth
- Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hylephila phyleusFiery Skipper
- Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
- Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Limenitis arthemisBanded Purple, Red-Spotted Admiral
- Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
- Lytrosis unitariaCommon Lytrosis
- Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
- Metaxaglaea semitariaFootpath Sallow
- Moodna ostrinellaDarker Moodna
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Nadata gibbosaWhite-Dotted Prominent
- Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
- Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
- Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
- Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
- Oedemasia semirufescensRed-Washed Prominent
- Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
- Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
- Oxydia vesuliaSpurge Spanworm Moth
- Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
- Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
- Papaipema marginidensBrick-Red Borer
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Parasa indeterminaStinging Rose Caterpillar Moth, Rose Slug Caterpillar
- Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
- Plagodis pulverariaAmerican Barred Umber, Barred Umber
- Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
- Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
- Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
- Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
- Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
- Proteoteras moffatianaMaple Bud Borer, Maple Shoot Borer
- Pseudothyatira cymatophoroidesTufted Thyatirid
- Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
- Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
- Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
- Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
- Synchlora aerataWavy-Lined Emerald, Camouflaged Looper
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
- Xanthotype urticariaFalse Crocus Geometer
- Zale lunataLunate Zale
- Cenopis saracana
- Menesta tortriciformella
- Xenotemna pallorana
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
19BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Rosa
- Alectoris chukarChukar
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
- Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
- Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
- Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
- Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
- Ectopistes migratoriusPassenger Pigeon
- Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
- Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush
Show all 19
- Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
- Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
- Mimus polyglottosNorthern Mockingbird
- Myadestes townsendiTownsend's Solitaire
- Perdix perdixGray Partridge
- Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
- Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
- Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
- Vireo philadelphicusPhiladelphia Vireo
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 7a–10b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to neutral
- Flower color
- Yellow, orange or white
- Fruit begins
- September
- Fruit ends
- October
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Late March to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “Yellow, orange or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Fruit begins · “September” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit ends · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Hardiness · “Zones 7a–10b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “15–33 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “3–4 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Conservation status
| Alabama rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | GNR |
| AL status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Sources
- Alabama Plant Atlas
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council list
- USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications