Prairie Wildflowers and Grasses of North Dakota

Summer Wildflowers

Craig Bihrle photo: Prairie rose (inset shows Rose hips)
Craig Bihrle Prairie rose
(Rosa arkansana)
Distribution: statewide
Habitat: prairie, open woodlands, thickets, and roadsides
Flowers: mostly pink but can fade to white
Height: <18 inches, plant is woody and shrub-like, has thorns along the stem.
Blooms: June to August
Family name: Rose (Rosaceae)
Other names: Prairie wild rose
Plant uses and other interesting facts: North Dakota's state flower. Wildlife eat the rose hips. Plains Indians used the hips to heal many ailments, ate the hips in emergencies, used the leaves for tea and the new shoots for cooking. Today's uses include: potpourri, air fresheners, teas, vitamins A and C.

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