Rosa rubiginosa L.
Sweet briar (Rosa rubiginosa) is a long-lived, deciduous shrub that is native to Europe. It was introduced to New Zealand as a hedge plant and was first recorded in the wild (naturalised) in 1867. The plant grows up to about 3 metres tall and has arching, prickly stems and leaves made up of five to seven leaflets that have a distinctive apple-like scent when crushed. It flowers from November to January, producing fragrant pink flowers, which develop into bright red, oval hips. It tolerates drought, frost and a wide range of soil types. It reproduces by seed and vegetatively by suckering from the base. Seeds are dispersed by birds and other animals that eat the hips.
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