What are the characteristics of the Chinese rose? A comprehensive guide in one article
The Chinese rose (Rosa chinensis) is an evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub, 1-2 m tall. The stems are erect; the branchlets are spreading, green, hairless, with curved prickles or unarmed. The pinnate compound leaves have 3-5 leaflets, rarely 7, and are 10-15 cm long including the petiole; the leaflets are broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic, 2.5-6 cm long and 1.5-3 cm wide, with an acute or acuminate apex and a rounded or broadly cuneate base, the margins with sharp fine serrations, the surface bright green, both surfaces hairless; the terminal leaflet has a long petiole, the lateral leaflets have shorter petiolules, and the petiole and rachis bear sparse glandular hairs and fine prickles; the stipules have ciliate glandular hairs or pinnate lobes along the margins, are hairless on both surfaces, and are adnate to the petiole at the base.
The flowers of the Chinese rose are borne several in clusters or singly, about 5 cm in diameter, on green pedicels 3-5 cm long that often bear glandular hairs; the receptacle is nearly spherical, the calyx lobes are triangular-ovate with a caudate-acuminate apex, entire or pinnately lobed, hairless outside and covered with short down on the inner surface and margins; the petals are double, deep red or pink, rarely white; the stamens are numerous; the styles are free and the ovary is pubescent. The rose hip is spherical, yellow-red, 1.5-2 cm in diameter, with the calyx lobes persistent. In the north it blooms from April to October, and in the south from March to November.
The Chinese rose has stems that are brownish with a green tinge, with hooked prickles or unarmed, though there are also Chinese roses with almost no prickles. The branchlets are green, and the leaves are dark green, alternate, odd-pinnate compound leaves, usually with 3-5 leaflets, broadly ovate (elliptic) or ovate-oblong, 2.5-6 cm long, with an acuminate apex and sharp teeth, serrate leaf margins, hairless and smooth on both surfaces; the stipules are adnate to the petiole, entire or with glandular teeth, and separate at the apex into ear-like lobes.
Characteristics of the Chinese rose
1. It has fairly strong cold tolerance and can endure low temperatures of -15 degrees.
2. The flowers are mostly rather small and delicate, with petals usually in 5s.
3. It has a sweet fragrance, and the prickles on the branches are few and large, easy to see.
4. The Chinese rose blooms in all four seasons, and is therefore hailed as the “Queen of Flowers”.