Salt Spray Rose - Rosa rugosa

This rough, extremely thorny shrub grows around the border of the salt marsh, often in dense clumps that are several feet in diameter. Also known as beach rose, this species blooms June through October, producing large, five-petaled flowers in bright fuchsia and sometimes white. In the fall, large scarlet rosehips develop that some people use to make an excellent jelly. Salt Spray Rose was introduced to the U.S. from Japan during the 19th century, and thrives along the Atlantic seacoast. It has frequently been used to stabilize beaches and dunes, and is now labeled as invasive in some states.