Multiflora rose was introduced from Japan, Korea, and eastern China in 1886 as rootstock for ornamental roses. In the 1930s it was widely promoted as a "living fence" for soil conservation and wildlife programs. Multiflora rose will tolerate a wide range of soils and environmental conditions. It grows well in full sun or shade, loamy soils to eroded clay, and on moist to dry sites. The berries of multiflora rose are relished by many species of birds, particularly in winter when food may be scarce. The seeds go through the digestive tract and are passed out with droppings, spreading the bushes rapidly into adjacent fields and undisturbed areas, where they may form dense thickets. It readily invades natural areas including flood plains and openings in forests. The plant and has been listed as a noxious weed in several states.

Multiflora rose reproduces by seed, root sprouts, and layering (rooting from the points where the tips of branches touch the soil). Multiflora rose grows to a height of about 13 ft. Stems are smooth and have curved, flattened, thorns. The first 5 to 6 ft. of the stems usually are erect, and the tips curve downward to the ground. The leaves are pinnately compound and are divided into 7-9 smooth, oval to elliptical, leaflets with finely toothed edges. Multiflora rose blooms from May to July and produces clusters of white to pinkish-white flowers with five petals and sepals. The clusters of red berries (rose hips) mature in late summer and remain on the plant well into the winter. A medium-sized bush may produce 500,000 to 1,000,000 seeds, many of which may remain dormant in the soil for 10 to 20 years. Seedlings develop within 60 days when the soil temperatures are above freezing. The new plants grow slowly for the first year or two and, then, expand rapidly by layering and root sprouts.