Rose

Rose, popular name for various woody shrubs and vines of the genus Rosa, with tough thorns and colorful flowers. There are some 100 wild rose species native to the Northern Hemisphere, but only 9 have been involved in the breeding of the hundreds of varieties now available. In many cultivated varieties the stamens become petaloid, producing double flowers. The rose family contains many important cultivated plants, including the apple, cherry, plum, and strawberry.