Rose Rosette Disease Information
Cardinal de Richelieu Rose
Many herb growers include roses in their herb gardens, and for good reason!
Roses have been around a very long time-all the while being used for fragrance, medicine and food. In some parts of the country roses are being affected by a disease called Rose Rosette Disease. It has taken a huge toll on my own roses, and has wiped out nearly all of my antique varieties. The beautiful Cardinal Richelieu in the photo is one of my few antique roses that has not been hit by Rose Rosette disease… yet.
The main host for the diesase is the Multiflora rose that we see growing along the back roads here throughout the Midwest, the Southeast and other parts of the country.
These Multiflora roses were brought in to the US many years ago to use as root stocks and as a decorative floral hedge. They probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Then as now, both commercial and home growers have been excited to see “the next new thing” in plants.
Several websites estimate that the Multiflora rose will be wiped out in ten to twenty years, however since the disease has spread to cultivated roses it remains a threat to both home gardeners and commercial growers. My take on this rotten, miserable disease?
Bleeech…
Try these sites for more information:
www.weeds.iastate.edu/mgmt/2003/multiflorarose.shtml
www.mobot.org/GARDENINGHELP/PLANTFINDER/IPM.asp?code=104&group=67&level=
ipm.illinois.edu/diseases/series600/rpd666/index.html
