Rosa arkansana

Rosa arkansana, the prairie rose or wild prairie rose, is a species of rose native to a large area of central North America, between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains from Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan south to New Mexico, Texas and Indiana. There are two varieties:

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.