Prairie Flowers

An Alberta wild rose plant grows in a ditch beside a wire fence in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies of southern Alberta, Canada.

Captured along Old Burmis road just north of the Crowsnest Highway (Hwy 3) where it enters Crowsnest pass.
Taken with a Canon Rebel XSi using an 18-55mm lens.

Better know by its common names, the Wild Rose or the Prickly Rose, Rosa acicularis is a member of the rose family (Rosaceae). It was adopted by the Province of Alberta, Canada to be its official floral emblem in 1930.

In Alberta, you can find the Wild Rose in bloom starting in late May and lasting until early August. The fragrant flowers are bright pink with petals 3-5 cm in size and can be used for the manufacture of perfume.

The Wild Rose is classified as a deciduous shrub (bushy shrub) and can be found almost everywhere in Alberta. The plant grows up to 1.5 m (5 feet) tall and has “bristle like” branches. The larger stems are densely covered with small prickles with the occasional thicker thorn.