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Rosa Rugosa in a sloping garden

DashaDasha Posts: 137
in Plants
Hi guys! Looking for advice for my rather steeply sloping garden. Because of the slope the ground stays relatively dry even in winter. It's also partially shaded by a number of large mature birches on one side (garden faces south).

I am looking for shrubs that would handle these conditions plus be relatively low maintenance (climbing up and down the slope with a watering can is definitely keeping me fit :) ). So I was all set on Rosa Rugosa but after reading some comments on this forum I am not so sure any more... The size of it is not a problem but it's suckering nature and invasiveness is a bit of a worry. I am not sure I'll be able to stay on top of it all the time due to the difficulty of access...

I was hoping knowledgeable people of this forum might be able to help. How difficult is Rugosa to control and is it at all worth it? Are named varieties better behaved? Some comments also mentioned a rather short flowering window - are named varieties better in this regard or do they just have different looking flowers?

Sorry about the wall of text and thank you for your help! Photo taken in winter before the slope got overgrown with weeds :)


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  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    It would be ok on a piece of wasteland like yours,  it could do it’s own thing,
    All I do is cut it back to the ground in Spring and up it comes again.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DashaDasha Posts: 137
    Thank you, @Lyn! Heh, it is a wasteland, isn't it? :) I am slowly working my way down the slope but it will probably take a decade to make it into a garden. Gives me something to do I suppose :) thank you again!
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    I have a couple of Rugosas on a slope of similar gradient. The one at the top has gradually extended its girth year on year in the way many perennials do, but retains a good shape, flowers well and has good hips for the birds and later colour. The lower one and others elsewhere are smaller and I wouldn't say any are invasive, certainly not like the Rhododendron ponticum and Persicarias which are far worse enemies, along with ground elder, that I have to battle!  

  • ErgatesErgates Posts: 2,953
    edited June 2023
    That is one impressive slope! We have a smaller version and I’m interested in the idea of planting some Rosa rugosa, which I love. Our slope was originally planted with a creeping cotoneaster, which I hate, but the birds do enjoy the berries. It was also planted with Gaultheria shallon, which is an invasive nightmare. Spreads by suckers, and the birds eat the berries, with the result that there are new clumps coming up around the garden. So don’t be tempted by that. Are there established pathways? That would be my priority so that you can reach what plants you do put in.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    @salo.daria. Hope I didn’t offend by calling it wasteland,  I’ve got so many ‘wasteland’ areas it comes naturally to me to say that. 😀

    Mine are just coming into flower now,  they’re very pretty and fill a big gap.  The only downside it’s they need cutting right back in the Spring to get the best from them so as @Ergates says,  you may need some sort of pathway.

    If it’s really wasteland and you don’t want to tend it,  just let them go and spread freely. 

    I think the birds must spread them by seeds as well as root trailing,  I’ve got them in places they’ve never been before. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DashaDasha Posts: 137
    Buttercupdays said:
    I have a couple of Rugosas on a slope of similar gradient. The one at the top has gradually extended its girth year on year in the way many perennials do, but retains a good shape, flowers well and has good hips for the birds and later colour. The lower one and others elsewhere are smaller and I wouldn't say any are invasive, certainly not like the Rhododendron ponticum and Persicarias which are far worse enemies, along with ground elder, that I have to battle!  

    That's certainly reassuring, thank you @Buttercupdays! Sounds like you have quite a few - any varieties you would recommend? Best of luck with ground elder!

  • DashaDasha Posts: 137
    edited June 2023
    Ergates said:
    That is one impressive slope! We have a smaller version and I’m interested in the idea of planting some Rosa rugosa, which I love. Our slope was originally planted with a creeping cotoneaster, which I hate, but the birds do enjoy the berries. It was also planted with Gaultheria shallon, which is an invasive nightmare. Spreads by suckers, and the birds eat the berries, with the result that there are new clumps coming up around the garden. So don’t be tempted by that. Are there established pathways? That would be my priority so that you can reach what plants you do put in.
    I thought my bare slope was tough work @Ergates, but having to battle with Cotoneaster and Gaultheria sounds so much worse...

    Yes, there are some 'unofficial' pathways that are just cut into the slope. There are also a few old half crumbled retaining walls. Definitely have my work cut out for me but I am sure it can become a lovely garden with some effort.

    You mentioned you have a slope of your own - what plants would you recommend from your experience? My thinking is that everything I plant must tolerate dry conditions and perhaps poor soil due to run off... Or am I wrong here?
  • DashaDasha Posts: 137
    Lyn said:
    @salo.daria. Hope I didn’t offend by calling it wasteland,  I’ve got so many ‘wasteland’ areas it comes naturally to me to say that. 😀

    Mine are just coming into flower now,  they’re very pretty and fill a big gap.  The only downside it’s they need cutting right back in the Spring to get the best from them so as @Ergates says,  you may need some sort of pathway.

    If it’s really wasteland and you don’t want to tend it,  just let them go and spread freely. 

    I think the birds must spread them by seeds as well as root trailing,  I’ve got them in places they’ve never been before. 

    Not offended at all @Lyn! I have been calling it worse names over the last year and a half :D

    I know not everyone likes Rugosas but I think they look fresh, cheerful and care free. Any varieties you would recommend? I got a couple of Alba bushes earlier this year and am just about to plant them out. Left it too late I know :)

    I am hoping to tame the wasteland eventually but even then I don't think I need so much 'garden' space myself. I have more or less civilised a chunk of it higher up so my plan was to plant something wildlife friendly and just keep it as 'organised chaos'. :D
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    Rosa rugosa will certainly do ok there so long as there is not to much shade. It grows on the sand dunes here and the council has to spend millions each year getting rid of it.
    I would never plant it somewhere where there isn't a boundary, that could be deep shade, a mown area, paving. anything that will stop it's spread.
    Remember it is really thorny so don't put it anywhere where you need access.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited June 2023
    I would recommend Rosa rugosa 'Rosarie De L'Hay'. Gorgous semi-double ruffled deep pink blooms, incredibly fragrant. There's a very similar variety called 'Hansa'. If you are covering a large area, you can often find 'Hansa' as bare root stock for winter planting, at a far lower cost.

    As Skandi says, R. rugosa is a problem on sandy ecosystems (dunes, sandy heath etc) but I wouldn't be overly concerned if you are not near such places.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
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