Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Rosa gymnocarpa

Baldhip Rose

At a Glance: Spindly shrub with brittle weak straight spines and small pink rose flowers.

Height: Up to 5 feet (1.5 meters).
Growth Form: Shrub.
Stems: Younger stems have stalked glands; older stems have numerous soft, straight prickles.
Leaves: Alternate; compound leaves with an odd number (5-9) of double-toothed leaflets; shape: elliptic to lance shaped; size: 1-4 cm long; color: green.
Flowers: 5 petals, numerous stamens; flowers borne singly at the end of branches; primary color: pale pink; size: 1-2 cm across; shape: saucer-shaped.
Flowering Period: May, June.
Fruits: Pear-shaped hips, without attached sepal lobes; seeds are bony, hairy achenes; smooth hips with pointed tips; shape: round; size: 6-10 mm across; color: orange to scarlet.


Photo © 2003, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	Common in moist and dry habitats. wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: FACU (facultative upland)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

Berries

Seeds

Nectar for hummingbirds

Nectar for butterflies

Host for insect larvae

Thickets and shelter

Thorny or protective cover

Birds: Several bird species eat the hips including grouse, bluebirds, juncos, grosbeaks, quail, pheasants, and thrushes. The seeds are using by birds as a source of grit. Rose thickets are an important shelter and habitat for birds such as pheasants and grouses.
Insects: The leaves are eaten by mourning cloak butterfly larvae. The leaves are used by the leaf-cutter bee. Young rose shoots are popular with aphids which in turn provide food for a wide range of predators including ladybugs and songbirds.
Mammals: Mammals that eat the hips include chipmunks, rabbits, hares, porcupines, coyotes, deer, elk, and bear. The Rose thickets provide important shelter and habitat for many mammal species.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

(data not available)

Suggested References

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.