Rosa laevigata
| Rosa laevigata | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Rosa |
| Species: | R. laevigata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rosa laevigata | |
Rosa laevigata, the Cherokee rose,[1] is a white, fragrant rose native to southern China and Taiwan south to Laos and Vietnam, and invasive in the United States.
Description[edit]
It is an evergreen climbing shrub, scrambling over other shrubs and small trees to heights of up to 5–10 metres (16–33 ft). The leaves are 3–10 centimetres (1.2–3.9 in) long, with usually three leaflets, sometimes five leaflets, bright glossy green and glabrous. The flowers are 6–10 centimetres (2.4–3.9 in) diameter, fragrant, with pure white petals and yellow stamens, and are followed by bright red and bristly hips 2–4 centimetres (0.79–1.57 in) diameter. The flower stem is also very bristly.
Cultivation[edit]
The species was introduced to the southeastern United States in about 1780, where it soon became naturalized, and where it gained its English name.
Cultural references[edit]
The flower has no association to Cherokee culture. It is a non-indigenous invasive species that climbs over and smothers existing vegetation.
It is most definitely NOT a symbol of resistance to Cherokee people, as it is often mistakenly attributed. It is actually a symbol of colonization and attempted genocide of Cherokee people and fitting that it is also the Georgia state flower. See the history of Cherokee Nation and the state of Georgia for further information.
References[edit]
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Rosa laevigata". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 23 October 2015.