Rosa chinensis aka Bengal Rose

Rosa chinensis, also known as the China rose or Chinese rose, is a shrubby plant native to Southwest China in Guizhou, Hubei, and Sichuan Provinces. It reaches a height of about 90cm and has an open habit with dark green foliage and a few scattered broad thorns. This rose produces semi-double crimson-red blooms, occasionally streaked with white in the center, and flowers continuously from summer into autumn. The first publication of Rosa chinensis was in 1768 by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin. Cultivated for centuries in East Asia and since the late 18th century in Western Europe, popular cultivars include 'Old Blush China', 'Mutabilis' (Butterfly Rose), and 'Cramoisi Superieur'. The leaves of Rosa chinensis are pinnate with 3-5 leaflets, and the flowers have five pink to red petals. The plant forms thickets or grows in hedges, and its fruit is a red hip measuring 1-2 cm in diameter. The branches are strong and stalk-round, with purplish-brown bark, and may or may not have curved, stocky, flat spines. Overall, Rosa chinensis is a beautiful and versatile shrub with a long history of cultivation.