Prickles

• The prickles on the stem of a rose bush are an example of an adaptation. They are not true thorns because they originate in the stem's epidermis, but these sickle-shaped protrusions allow the rose to cling to other forms of vegetation as it climbs. They also may discourage browsing by herbivores, but they usually don't prevent it. Herbivores generally munch on the tips of leaves rather than the stems. Roses have developed a different adaptation--the ability to survive in spite of the loss of foliage--in response to this scenario.
  
  

Coloration

• Coloration is another obvious adaptation roses have developed over time. The large red, pink or white petals attract pollinating insects. The primary pollinators of roses are bees, and they are drawn to these bright colors from a distance. Without pollination, most roses could not reproduce.
  
  

Fragrance

• In addition to their attractive color, many white and pale pink roses produce volatile esters, which are chemicals humans perceive as a sweet, floral fragrance pleasing to our sense of smell. These odors, however, are meant to attract insects, especially pollinating flower, honey and bumble bees. The production of these chemicals is yet another adaptation of roses.
  
  

Other Adaptations

• Though most roses are pollinated by insects, some species have evolved with a different adaptation. Roses found in windy mountainous regions of New Zealand, Australia, Europe, western Asia, northern Africa and South America are pollinated by wind rather than bees. Some cultivars have developed other adaptations for survival in a specific climatic region. Roses that thrive in the wet Pacific Northwest, for example, would wilt in the hot summers of the American South.