[1][2] In the wild, it is found in thickets, mountain forests, on slopes, and alongside streams, typically 500 to 1,400 m (1,600 to 4,600 ft) above sea level.

[5] It was dedicated to William Roxburgh, a Scottish physician and botanist who was director of the Calcutta Botanical Garden.

and also, Rosa roxburghii f. hirtula (Regel) (Rehder and Wilson), flowers single, pale pink or lilac-pink from Japan.

[11] It was originally found in China in the early 1800s, where it had been growing for generations,[8][12][10] and it is rarely grown in European gardens.

The Latin specific epithet of Roxburghii was named after John Roxburgh (1770s–1820s), an occasional overseer of Calcutta Botanic Garden.

[24] After gene sequencing was carried out it was found that R. roxburghii is closely related to Rosa odorata var.

[3][15] It is found growing in various habitats, including mountain forests, thickets, slopes, stream sides,[3][19] semi-arid river valleys, waysides,[6] and on roadsides.

In China, it is commonly found on banks between rice fields, where it can obtain plenty of water during the summer.

[6] The Japanese name for the chestnut rose is 十六夜薔薇 (izayoibara), with the term 十六夜 referring to the morphology of the flower lacking a petal, making it seem as if it has a notch at one side.