My Rose Bush Tips Are Turning Red

Natural Pigments

• Rose plants have pigments that determine the colors of the rose flowers. In some rose varieties, the pigment anthocyanin, which is responsible for red roses, causes young leaves and tips to emerge with a red or bronze color. This occurs most commonly in the spring and is believed to protect the young sprouts from overexposure to the sun. As the season progresses, the leaves and tips turn green. Watch the plant for several weeks. If the red tips slowly fade to green, the likely cause is the naturally occurring pigment.

Rose Rosette Disease

• If the tips turn red in midsummer, however, consider rose rosette disease. This fatal rose disease is spread by tiny mites; as of 2011, there is no cure. The plant initially develops a red mosaic pattern on a few leaves. As the disease spreads, more leaves become infected. The branch tips grow rapidly and turn bright red, developing scraggly branches and small, deformed leaves. The plant also becomes thorny and fuzzy. Remove any plants that exhibit signs of rose rosette disease and destroy them. Do not compost any parts of the infected plants.

Considerations

• The rose rosette virus initially infected only wild roses but has spread to many parts of the U.S., where it infects cultivated roses as well. Talk with a local nursery expert or county extension agent to learn if rose rosette virus is common in your area. If so, watch plants closely for signs of infection. Some infections exhibit very obvious symptoms, while others are more subtle. Any pink or red coloring on leaves or tips that does not fade as the plant grows should be suspect. Early diagnosis is critical to avoid spreading the disease.

Control

• Roses exhibiting signs of rose rosette disease, such as red tips, usually succumb to the disease within one or two years. Unfortunately, by then, other roses may also be infected. Remove all root material, as well as the infected rose plants, because the disease may linger in the roots. It doesn't survive in the soil, so planting roses in the same location is generally safe. Space roses at least 2 to 3 feet apart, depending on the variety, so air circulates freely, and remove damaged or diseased plant debris promptly.