Bloomipedia
Prairie rose (Rosa arkansana)
Photo: Lydia Dexter via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Prairie rose

Rosa arkansana

Prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) is a low shrub in the Rosaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

★ Official state flower of Iowa (1897)★ Official state flower of North Dakota (1907)Native in the lower 48

Prairie rose is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

21states where USDA records it
5Bloomipedia state lists include it
2,619U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

🏅
Iowa's official state flower since 1897. Visit the Iowa page → Iowa General Assembly concurrent resolution, May 7, 1897 (Iowa Legislative Services Agency, Iowa State Symbols) The 1897 resolution says only “wild rose”; the wild prairie rose (Rosa pratincola, now treated as Rosa arkansana) is the species usually cited.
🏅
North Dakota's official state flower since 1907. Visit the North Dakota page → N.D. Cent. Code § 54-02-03 The law names “rosa blanda or arkansana”; we show Rosa arkansana, the prairie species.

Quick look

Rosa arkansana, the prairie rose or wild prairie rose, is a species of rose native to a large area of central North America, between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains from Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan south to New Mexico, Texas and Indiana. There are two varieties:Rosa arkansana var. arkansana Rosa arkansana var. suffulta (Greene) Cockerell

  • It belongs to the Rosaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 21 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Kansas, South Dakota, Nebraska, North Dakota and Iowa. NatureServe
  • In Kansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 345 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #74 among the 151 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 303 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #43 among the 126 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 298 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #44 among the 147 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (366 records)
Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
KansasNativeMay–June345
South DakotaNativefew records (14)303
NebraskaNativeMay–June298
North DakotaNativefew records (37)287
IowaNativefew records (29)164

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
South Dakota
No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
Nebraska
Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OH (SX). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Rose” (Rosa Species), which covers the whole genus, lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records prairie rose in 21 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Greenwood, Hamilton, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kearny, Kiowa, Labette, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Aurora, Brookings, Brule, Buffalo, Butte, Campbell, Charles Mix, Clark, Clay, Codington, Corson, Custer, Day, Deuel, Dewey, Douglas, Fall River, Faulk, Haakon, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Harding, Hughes, Hutchinson, Jackson, Kingsbury, Lake, Lawrence, Lyman, Marshall, Meade, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Pennington, Perkins, Potter, Roberts, Stanley, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Yankton, Ziebach.

Nebraska counties with USDA records: Adams, Antelope, Blaine, Boone, Box Butte, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Burt, Cass, Cedar, Cherry, Cuming, Custer, Dakota, Dawes, Deuel, Dixon, Dodge, Douglas, Fillmore, Frontier, Furnas, Gage, Garfield, Gosper, Greeley, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, Holt, Hooker, Howard, Jefferson, Kearney, Keya Paha, Knox, Lancaster, Logan, Loup, Madison, McPherson, Nance, Otoe, Pawnee, Phelps, Pierce, Platte, Richardson, Rock, Saline, Sarpy, Saunders, Sherman, Sioux, Stanton, Thayer, Thomas, Valley, Washington, Webster, York.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 519 counties across 22 states; the most are in Kansas (87), Minnesota (62), Nebraska (62).

Other Rosa on Bloomipedia (10): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Rugosa rose, California wild rose, Baldhip rose, Woods' rose, Climbing prairie rose, Nootka rose, Prickly wild rose, Three-leaved rose.

More from the Rosaceae family (103 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Mock strawberry, Black cherry, Toyon, Thimbleberry, Wineberry, Black raspberry, Trailing blackberry, Salmonberry.

More Kansas flowers

Roses (genus Rosa) (Rosa)

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in KS: May–June
Mock strawberry (Potentilla indica)

Mock strawberry

Potentilla indica

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in KS
Downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)

Downy serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea

🌷 Flowering tree

🌷 Grown in Kansas gardens

Sources