From late April through the month of May and often well into June, Multiflora Rose is found flowering in a variety of habitats at the Arboretum. This invasive species has abundant, fragrant white flowers. The shrub is perhaps most conspicuous along the edges of forests, streams, and open areas. Its arching stems can develop into dense thickets, growing over native vegetation and becoming impenetrable due to the stout, recurved thorns along the branches.

The alternate, compound leaves have 5-11 leaflets with characteristic feathery stipules at their bases. The fruits (rose hips) develop in mid-summer and are eaten by a variety of birds and other wildlife, facilitating their dissemination. The UT Forest Resources Center, in cooperation with UT faculty, is presently engaged in the testing of new herbicides to help eradicate this shrub and other invasive, non-native plants.

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