Tales From the Help Desk: Rose Rosette Disease

Q.  My Zephirine Drouhin climbing rose looks odd.

There are “frilly” growths, and the buds are very small.  Should I be worried?

A. The Heirloom Roses website description of Rosa ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ states that it “may be the most consistently blooming, large, flowered climbing rose, with the added benefit that it is thorn-less.” The variety is thought to have originated in France in 1868.

Your rose appears to be infected with rose rosette virus (RRV). This is a virus spread by a very small mite. Both the disease and the type of mite are specific to roses and do not affect other types of plants. There is no cure for a diseased rose plant. The plant, to include the roots, should be removed and destroyed, bagged and put into the trash. Any tools and gardening gloves used should be sterilized with Lysol spray or wipes, or a bleach solution.

While the distortions may occur in only one part of the plant, the virus moves throughout the plant so the whole plant is infected. If you have other rose plants nearby, it would be worthwhile to treat them for mites by spraying with a horticultural oil, such as Neem Oil, or insecticidal soap (many brands). The Missouri Botanical Gardens website recommends weekly applications of these organic pesticides in June and July.

This article first appeared in the June 2022 edition of The Colonial Master Gardener newsletter.