Roses are an extremely popular flowering shrub in the landscape world. But rose rosette is a virus that plagues roses, especially knock out roses. The virus is actually caused by a tiny insect called a spider mite. In its beginning stages, rose rosette can be difficult to distinguish from new plant growth. The signs include deep red and jagged leaf growth, excessive thorniness on the stems, and small rose buds that never fully bloom. The unfortunate reality is that once the roses get rose rosette, there is no known cure as of now. It is recommended that the plants are removed and destroyed, but to make matters worse, no other roses will be able to take their place in the landscape. The soil is still contaminated so any new roses that are put in their place will develop rose rosette as well. Last year, most cases that we dealt with were in the North Bossier, Benton, and Blanchard areas, but now we are beginning to see more and more cases in the southern parts of our area. It’s an extremely unfortunate disease that has no fix. You may be able to help reduce your chances of getting rose rosette by treating your roses with a miticide approved for spider mites. If you think you may have rose rosette and need help identifying it, send us some photos and we can help you!