The statue of venus, glorious for to se,
Was naked, fletynge in the large see,
And fro the navele doun al covered was
With wawes grene, and brighte as any glas.
A citole in hir right hand hadde she,
And on hir heed, ful semely for to se,
A rose gerland, fressh and wel smellynge;
Above hir heed hir dowves flikerynge.

From "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer

Although a Multiflora Rose bush covered with blossoms can sometimes be pretty, it is most often encountered blooming patchily, with dead or bare spots, and is normally not particularly attractive.

It is considered a most unwelcome invader by farmers. Because birds eat its fruit and then deposit its seeds where they've perched, it is often found in fence rows, where it is difficult to remove.  It can aggressively colonize fields, and a great deal of time and effort is spent annually trying to control it.

Its rose hips are small and contain very little flesh, so it isn't even valued for that purpose like other roses are.  It's been responsible for a lot of torn clothing and scratches while my family was enjoying the outdoors, and I've suffered numerous sore fingers from stabs with its thorns. In all, it's difficult for me to say anything positive about it!

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