by Cynthia Hight November 24, 2025
Before your roses go dormant for the winter, inspect them for signs of rose rosette virus. One symptom is odd growth called witches’ broom. This is growth that is distorted and stunted and many times is exhibited in clusters.
Other symptoms of rose rosette are thick stems, excessive thorniness, and immature growth which does not harden or mature. Many times new growth on roses is red, so do not panic if you see red growth. However, on a plant with rose rosette, the red growth is usually excessive. Check for at least two symptoms.
Rose rosette is transmitted by microscopic Eriophyid mites. These mites can be scattered by the wind, on tools, clothing, or by crawling to the next rose. If you use a landscape company to help you with maintenance or pruning, ask them if they are familiar with symptoms of rose rosette virus.
Try to never use herbicides around roses as affected growth can mimic some of the symptoms of rose rosette. If you find a rose with unusual symptoms, contact your extension agent so they can positively identify rose rosette and report it to researchers. Just last week I noticed a suspicious-looking cluster of roses in Tyler and shared the information along with a photo to the county extension agent. Researchers use the information to try to find roses which have a natural resistance to the virus.
Roses in East Texas should be pruned in late winter, usually around Valentine’s day. That is another opportune time to look for symptoms. Continue to keep watch in the spring when your roses emerge from dormancy. For now, there is no cure for rose rosette and it is best to destroy any affected roses. Eventually, the rose will die anyway and the longer it is left to grow the more chances of it spreading the virus to other roses.
Henderson County Master Gardener Association provides multiple resources at its website: https://txmg.org/hendersonmg/ or direct questions by calling the county extension office at 903-675-6130.
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