WEED OF THE WEEK: QUICK KEYS TO CONTROL*
 
Wild rose is generally not a problem in fields.

In ditches or pastures: Use 2,4-D, Grazon, or Curtail.*

*Please read transcript below for further explanation of recommendations, or call 1-800-274-3389 (Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm CT, Sat. 8am-12noon CT) with any questions.

WEED OF THE WEEK - WILD ROSE
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D: With Valentine's day right around the corner, we felt the only appropriate weed to feature today would be the wild rose.
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B: Don't get too excited yet, guys. Wild rose plants won't be blooming until at least May so there's no cheap way to get around buying the expensive roses they have at the flower shop.
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D: It's okay, though. Wild rose plants don't work out in vases quite as nicely as long stem roses do anyway. Wild roses are a shrub that reproduce by seeds. They are a native plant to North America.
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B: The leaves are much smaller than the roses you may be used to seeing from flower shops. Rather than one large leaf at each node, wild rose plants have a compound leaf at each of its nodes. The nodes will be alternate up the stem, and each compound leaf will have numerous leaflets.
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D: Each of the little leaflets will have serrated edges. They will be smooth on the top surface, but hairy underneath. The stems will be reddish-brown and covered with needles. If you want to pick some of these little guys, you'd better watch out. If you do, the flowers ARE pretty. They'll usually be a variety of colors from white to pink to burgundy. Flowers are 5-petaled with deep notches in the ends of the petals.
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B: Let's face it, many people don't keep wild rose plants under control because they enjoy looking at these plants. In fact, wild rose is the state flower of Iowa and North Dakota. One interesting fact is in the name of wild rose. There are several different species of wild rose plants. Distinguishing between them is difficult because they look very similar and they cross pollinate readily forming many hybrid varieties.
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D: Growing up, I learned to identify this weed as Arkansas wild rose, and that IS one of the species. Formally, it's called rosa arkansana. I figured that meant it must have originally been identified in Arkansas. Actually, it got it's name from the Arkansas river in Colorado. Since there are quite a few different variations of the wild rose plants we see today, we just call them all prairie wild roses or simply wild rose.
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B: There are also many uses for these plants by animals and humans alike. The petals and the fruits from the plant are used for foods like syrups and candies. Native Americans made teas from the leaves. Wines can also be made from wild roses. Oils from the plants have been used as medicines as well. Not to mention that animals such as deer, turkeys, and small mammals use the fruits of wild rose plants for food.
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D: With all these uses and values, many people lose sight that wild rose is a WEED. It may be a state flower in a couple states, and it may be pretty to look at if you see it in ditches or around trees. If it's in my pasture or cropland, though, I want it eliminated.
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B: Well, Darren, it is our weed of the week, and weed control is the name of the game on this show. Wild rose is a perennial plant, though, and that makes weed control a little more difficult.
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D: The fact that wild roses usually grow in grassy areas is the real challenge. There isn't a Roundup Ready pasture grass. NOT YET, ANYWAY. That means we're stuck with the same challenges we face with thistle control in these areas. Most commonly, wild rose plants are suppressed with multiple applications of 2,4-D ester. This works just fine. Ester will burn back the plants successfully.
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B: If you are away from trees, adding Tordon to the mix will help as well. Wild rose plants ARE shrubs, and normally, the woodier types of plants are controlled awfully well by Tordon or Tordon and 2,4-D mixes. A combination such as this would be our number one recommendation for wild rose control.
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D: So don't let this dangerous and aggressive plant escape your control. Stop it in it's tracks with . . .
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B: Alright, Darren, let's not get carried away. Wild rose plants aren't poisonous or dangerous outside it's prickles on the stems. It is a perennial plant, though, that can take moisture away from your pasture grass.
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D: Identify wild rose by the thorny stems. It will have alternate leaves with many leaflets on each branch. Each leaflet will have serrated edges, will be smooth on the top surface, and hairy underneath.
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B: The flowers will have five petals and range from a white color to a dark burgundy.
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D: Even though it may be the state flower in North Dakota and Iowa, I like to control this WEED with a combination of Tordon and 2,4-D ester.