LIFE HISTORY AND EFFECTS OF INVASION

Multiflora rose blooms in May or June. Individual plants may produce up to 500,000 seeds per year. The majority of seedlings emerge near the parent plant from which the seeds fell. In addition, many species of birds and mammals feed on the hips, dispersing the seeds widely. The canes are also capable of rooting when in contact with soil.

Multiflora rose readily invades prairies, savannas, open woodlands, and forest edges. Where it grows in dense thickets, it replaces the surrounding vegetation.