By Graceyoxon
United Kingdom 
I have a rose bush which has developed very peculiar growth. It is not a sucker as it starts part way along the stem. And what is even more interesting is that these pictures were taken on 11 September and the flowers look exactly the same today - they haven't developed any further and haven't died. They are actually quite lovely in their own way and I am keeping them on the bush for a Christmas decoration! But can you tell me what has happened. I live on the Isle of Skye.
25 Nov, 2010
Answers
Genetic blip or virus, I'd say.
25 Nov, 2010
Yes I hadn't thought of a virus. That could well be it
25 Nov, 2010
Salt winds together with cold temperatures, they are petrified.
25 Nov, 2010
Would that account for the different colour aborted flowers, docbob?
25 Nov, 2010
The first pic - that happened to one of mine and I put it down to crop spraying drifting on my rose bush.
25 Nov, 2010
We are all talking about many ways in which distortion can appear on any living plants, as Grace lives on the Isle of Skye, salt is always in the air and as it is autumn, if growth is slowed down by frost and chill factor in the wind the salt would be absorbed into the plants. In the growing season her Roses etc. can grow out of it. This does not occur with virus or weedkiller sprays. As she wants to use the flower heads for decoration another two weeks will not do any more damage. Grace, cut back the affected parts hard down the bushes and wait and see what the results are next year. Bamboo, the distortion and colouring will always occur in the process of any toxic chemical that may fall on the plants.
25 Nov, 2010
Umm....You don't have Rose Rosette Disease in Europe do you? This looks similar.
26 Nov, 2010
Having Googled Rose Rosette Disease, you're right Gilli - it does look quite like it. RRD doesn't seem to have been reported in Europe, so far. I hope this damage has been caused by a little weedkiller drift, or salt spray, as no-one would want RRD around. :-(
26 Nov, 2010
RRD is nasty Beattie. We don't have any where I live but it's moving this way apparently. :o(
26 Nov, 2010
If anyone suspects that it's RRD you might like to send a photo to RHS in case that's what it is. If no one reports these things, then we don't know that they're around.
26 Nov, 2010
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Very odd! I'm wondering if somehow just that one stem has received a very light dose of weed killer?( maybe you sprayed something else and some blew onto it?)
I accidently sprayed a fuchsia with a little Glyphosate 3years ago and the growth was very odd for the following two years but has now returned to normal.
The only other thing I can think of is that it is some sort of genetic abnormality
25 Nov, 2010