Rosa cymosa is a species of climbing rose

Rose

A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...

 native to China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, where it grows from the east coast in Fujian

Fujian

' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...

 to western Sichuan

Sichuan

' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...

 at up to 1300 m, in warm areas in scrub and gorges, and in bamboo plantations. It is sometimes called the elderflower rose as its flower formation resembles Elderberry

Elderberry

Sambucus is a genus of between 5 and 30 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. It was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified due to genetic evidence...

 (Sambucus) flowers.

Rosa cymosa has long smooth or hairy stems to 5 m, with a few, hooked thorns. Shoots and leaves are bright red when young. The leaflets are narrowly lanceolate, rounded at the base, and acuminate with a slender, curved point. Stipule

Stipule

In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...

s are narrow and not attached to the stalk, or soon falling. The pedicels

Pedicel (botany)

A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....

 are slender. Flowers small and numerous, in a compound umbel

Umbel

An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....

 or corymb, creamy-white, 1-1.5 cm across. The hips very small and round, around 5 mm across, and are dull or scarlet-red in color with many small seeds.

Rather tender, probably best grown in a greenhouse or conservatory in frosty climates. Flowers in late May and early June.