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Is this rose bush diseased ? #948295

Asked November 09, 2026, 8:14 PM EST

My rose bush has tall stems with red leaves. Is it a disease ? If so what kind and what should I do ?

Baltimore County Maryland

Expert Response

We can't see the symptoms clearly to tell if it's showing signs of possible Rose Rosette Disease, although you can use the information on the linked page to judge if that looks plausible. It's hard to evaluate roses for viral symptoms this time of year because they are about to shed all leaves for the winter and any light frosts they may have experienced recently can impact growth. Red new growth by itself is not a reliable disease symptom because it's a normal trait for many varieties.

If the shrub was exposed to any herbicide (lawn weed control, perhaps, or weed sprays or granules used in the garden bed), that can also cause virus-like symptoms. For now, you can either remove the plant out of an abundance of caution (if you suspect RRD), or wait until spring for clearer symptoms to appear to help narrow-down a diagnosis. If RRD is present, typically it cannot be pruned out as the infection spreads throughout the plant, beyond just branches showing symptoms.

Miri

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