Rosa arkansana

• Rosa arkansana var. arkansana
• Rosa arkansana var. suffulta (Greene) Cockerell

The name Rosa arkansana comes from the Arkansas River in Colorado. The species' wide distribution and consequent genetic drift has led to an extensive synonymy. It is a perennial subshrub and its native habitats include prairies, roadsides, and ditches. The plant attracts butterflies and birds.

The name prairie rose is also sometimes applied to Rosa blanda, also known as the meadow rose or smooth rose, which is also widely spread, but somewhat further to the north.

Symbolism

Wild rose is the state flower of the U.S. states of Iowa and North Dakota. In Iowa, convention states the species is Rosa pratincola (currently treated as a synonym of Rosa arkansana). North Dakota, on the other hand, specifies either Rosa arkansana or Rosa blanda. Alberta's "wild rose" is Rosa acicularis.