# Nematode-Resistant Roses
Not all nematodes plague roses; some are even beneficial. But root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne hapla, can weaken or even kill roses once the roots are so infected that food and nutrients can't reach the rest of the rose. There are not many nematode-resistant varieties, but these varieties offer a recourse for other, non-resistant varieties.
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Rosa x 'Fortuniana'
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Fortuneana, or Rosa x 'Fortuniana', is a climbing rose with creamy white, large, double blossoms that appear in summer. They grow 12 feet high but produce very few thorns, making them easier to handle. Fortuneanas are prized not only as a beautiful rose climber by their own right, but also for their excellent nematode resistance.
Rosa indica 'Major'
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Rosa indica 'Major' is also a climbing rose, but produces pale pink double roses in abundance during the summer. It grows 10 to 13 feet tall, and has more voracious thorns. However, this rose is used almost exclusively for breeding or rootstock.
Grafting
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Roses from many cultivars are grafted onto resistant rootstock of either Fortuneana or Rosa indica 'Major' roses to help prevent nematode problems. A bare-root rose grafted onto nematode-resistant rootstock should be labeled clearly as such. If nematodes have become a problem for a rose that does not have resistant rootstock, the healthy canes could be grafted onto resistant stock to try to salvage the rose.
Considerations
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Nematode-resistant roses can usually be found at specialty rose shops or even through catalogs. Once nematodes that are harmful to roses are present in the soil, there are few to no options for getting rid of them. If in doubt, always purchase roses grafted onto nematode-resistant stock.
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