A large shrub rose with peeling wood and stems to 2m, with pairs of flattened thorns at the leaf bases. Leaflets 9-19, 10-25mm long, ovate-oblong or oblong, not stalked, with fine teeth, pubescent especially on the veins beneath, the rhachis pubescent. Stipules very small, glandular on the margin. Pedicels short, stout, with fine prickles. Flowers solitary on short shoots, 5-6cm across, pale pink and white from a bright pink bud. Sepals often with small appendages. Styles not exserted from the hip. Hips around 2cm across, with numerous prickles and erect, leafy and persistent sepals.

In central Japan, in southern Honshu, flowering in June.

This is an attractive plant, with ferny leaves and relatively large flowers produced in succession. In climates with cool summers it might grow better than R. roxburghii, which I have found very slow-growing in the hills of north Devon. It differs from Rosa roxburghii mainly in having the smaller leaflets hairy beneath.

Zone 7, will survive down to s species is named after William Roxburgh (1751-1815), superintendent of Calcutta Botanic garden and Ch