Rosa canina, commonly known as the dog rose, is a variable climbing, wild rose species native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia. Description The dog rose is a deciduous shrub normally ranging in height from , though sometimes it can scramble higher into the crowns of taller trees. Its stems are covered with small, sharp, hooked prickles, which aid it in climbing. The leaves are pinnate, with 5–7 leaflets. Leaves have a delicious fragrance, when bruised. The dog rose blooms from June to July, with sweet scented flowers which are usually pale pink, but can vary between a deep pink and white. They are in diameter with five petals. As other roses it has a quintuscial aestivation (see sketch A in diagram). Unusually though of its five sepals, when viewed from underneath two are whiskered on both sides, two are quite smooth and one is whiskered (or bearded) on one side only. Flowers mature into an oval, , red-orange hip. The dog rose is hardy to zone 3 in the UK (USDA hardiness zone 3-7), tolerates maritime exposure and grows well in a sunny position, grows even in heavy clay soils, but like all roses dislikes water-logged soils or very dry sites. In deep shade it usually fails to flower and fruit. It can be confused with fieldbriar Rosa agrestis, and sweetbriar Rosa rubiginosa. Classification Classical writers did not acknowledge Rosa canina as a rose, but called it Cynorrhodon from the Greek "kunórodon". In 1538, Turner called it "Cynosbatos : wild hep or brere tree". Yet in 1551, Matthias de l'Obel classified it as a rose under the name of "Canina Rosa odorata et silvestris" in his herbal "Rubus canis: Brere bush or hep tree" . From a 2013 DNA analysis using amplified fragment length polymorphisms of wild-rose samples from a transect across Europe (900 samples from section Caninae, and 200 from other sections), it has been suggested that the following named species are best considered as part of a single Rosa canina species complex: R. balsamica Besser R. caesia Sm. R. corymbifera Borkh. R. dumalis Bechst. R. montana Chaix R. stylosa Desv. R. subcanina (Christ) Vuk. R. subcollina (Christ) Vuk. R. × irregularis Déségl. & Guillon Numerous cultivars have been named, though few are common in cultivation. The cultivar Rosa canina 'Assisiensis' is the only dog rose without thorns. Pests and diseases The dog rose can be attacked