The sweetbrier and its cultivated forms are tall, graceful bushes, with fragrant leaves. Some have flowers no larger than a nickel. Cabbage roses have flowers with many petals. These petals overlap in a way similar to the leaves of a head of cabbage. Moss roses, a type of cabbage rose, have rough sepals and stems that resemble moss.
Wild roses are erect or climbing shrubs.
They bear thorns, and their flowers have one layer of five petals. Such one-layered blossoms are called singles. Most cultivated roses have double blossoms. This means that the flower has many petals arranged in several layers. Some cultivated roses lack thorns.