Whenever anyone drives along any road anywhere in Tiverton, Little Compton, or Aquidneck Island, they can see multiflora rose; it is inescapable. This bush is about seven feet in diameter and five feet high, and colonizes roadsides and forests by sending out canes that touch down and send up a new bush. It has perfectly hooked thorns to catch clothing, and sprouts of bright green leaves with small thorns on their undersides. It also has clumps of small white flowers in May or June (“multiflora”), which turn into pellet-like red berries in August.

The bush strangles native understory vegetation and covers areas with thick, impenetrable thickets impassible to fauna, humans, or native plants. It can even strangle trees. This invasive undoubtedly must be removed if our state is to regrow and conserve healthy, native ecosystems.

Multiflora rose is one of the most important invasives to rid our state of. Other invasive plants, such as Japanese knotweed, have talents and weaknesses, but multiflora has no weaknesses; it grows basically anywhere, kills basically anything, spreads basically any way, and hosts many diseases, pests, and other invasives. It is also incredibly dangerous and painful, with its perfectly hooked thorns and long swishing weapon-canes. It also looks nice from a distance and leaves a devastated-looking patch when it is removed, which can make it difficult to convince people to want to kill it. The one potential weakness of it is that it can take time to establish, so catch it early before you have to deal with a monocultural mega-thorn.

Multiflora rose is very difficult to get rid of. The best way is to cut the canes back until you can access the stumps, then pull them out with a piece of heavy machinery. Monitor the site continuously, or the bush may resprout.

Multiflora rose is the most pressing invasive species threatening our ecosystems. It is difficult and time-consuming to remove; individuals with the time to spare should remove it if they can, however.

Ronan Roberts

Tiverton