Description: A native of Japan introduced for garden purposes which has escaped onto sand dunes around the coast and is also found occasionally in waste ground inland. It is a nuisance in its sand dune habitat, forming dense thickets which obliterate native vegetation.

It is easily recognised by its crinkly (rugose) leaves, the attractive sweetly-scented deep purple-pink or white flowers and the very large red spheroidal hips, looking almost like small tomatoes, much the largest hip of any wild rose.

All names: Rosa rugosa Thunb. ex Murray

Distribution Map from NBN: Rosa rugosa at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Rosa rugosa at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.