A more common approach has been for biologists concerned over multiflora’s 
weed characteristics to recommend that farmers seriously weigh the advantages 
and disadvantages of the rose before planting it. While recognizing the value of 
multiflora as a wildlife cover and living fence, scientists warn against using the 
plant near unmanaged pasture, permanent pasture which cannot be managed with 
power equipment, open woods primarily managed for timber production, Christ- 
mas tree plantings, idle land, or other areas not under management. 
Multiflora gets its name from the clusters of many white flowers. The individual 
flowers range in size from 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. The leaves commonly have 7 
to 9 leaflets. In older hedges the stems sometimes attain a length of 15 feet or 
more and have a diameter of 8 inches at the base. 
Reproduction is chiefly by seeds but some layering may occur under very favor- 
able conditions—that is, when canes become covered by wet-soil during the grow- 
ing season. Multiflora does best in cool sections where the annual rainfall is 30 
or more inches. It occurs most frequently in fringe areas between forest and prairie. 
However, it can grow in open woods. 
Macartney Rose 
Macartney rose (Rosa braceata Wendl.) is already rated as a major weed prob- 
lem in Texas although it is still restricted mostly to the southeastern section of 
the State. Range specialists of the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University 
point out that range areas covered by established clumps of roses are a. total loss 
for grazing. Although reclaiming heavily infested grazing land is difficult and ex- 
pensive, experiments have shown that effective control measures more than pay 
for themselves in increased productivity. The findings have also emphasized the 
need for control to prevent spread of a costly range pest which is capable of com- 
pletely taking over fertile grasslands in a period of 15 to 25 years after initial 
infestation. Since 1948, the acreage in Texas infested by the Macartney rose has 
increased twelvefold, from an estimated 40,000 acres to around 500,000. 
Macartney rose has rather large, white, five—petalled flowers, measuring from 2 
to 3 inches in diameter. Its fruit is longish—from 24 to 1 inch in length. This 
rose grows to form mounds of brush sometimes 20 feet high. More commonly, how- 
oe wae plants are around 7 feet high. The leaves usually have from 5 to 11 
eaflets. 
Macartney is frequently confused with Cherokee rose with which it hybridizes. 
However, Cherokee rose characteristically has only 3 leaflets per leaf. 
Although seeds spread by birds and livestock are probably the major cause for 
the rapid spread of Macartney rose, its ability to layer readily probably enables 
Macartney to persist and spread in some relatively .unfavorable environments 
where seedlings would not survive. 
Cuttings also can be a problem with Macartney rose. Whereas mowing helps 
keep down multiflora roses in managed pastures, it can accelerate the spread of 
Macartney plants if the cut canes are scattered and pressed into the soil by farm 
vehicles or livestock. 
Cherokee Rose 
Cherokee rose (Rosa laevigata Mich.) has flowers 2 to 3 inches in diameter. 
Usually the petals are white but some have a pink tinge. The elongate hips range 
from about 114 to 11% inches in length. Characteristically the leaf has 3 leaflets 
but rarely mav have 5. The species name, laevigata (polished), refers to the 
smoothness of the leaflet. 
