Rose Rosette Disease – Identification
Q: What do you know about rose rosette disease?
A: I know it can be devastating to roses and will be extremely hard to control if it becomes widespread in Georgia.
The disease causes very red foliage and stems, copious thorns, “witch’s broom” at branch ends and eventual death of the plant. It is spread by tiny mites that travel on the wind. The only cure for it is to pull out and destroy affected plants.
I see so many rosette-infected roses in my drives around metro Atlanta that I despair of it ever being controlled. For that reason, I fear that roses may soon become only short-lived perennials in our gardens.
Here is more information:
Rose Rosette Disease in Virginia