Is this RRD? I found this branch growing off the main can of a young Autumn Damask this morning. The diameter is smaller then the main chain but it has grown quickly. There is no red growth or witches broom but an insane amount of pliable thorns. I’m thinking I should just bag the rose unless someone knows if this is something ADs do on occasion. Thanks in advance.
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Let me begin by saying, thankfully, I’ve never seen RRD in person, but I’ve observed many photos. I don’t have any new growth like that on my AD, but this is average for it. I would add there is none of the “witches broom” nor red pigments so often associated with RRD. Until your AD expresses more unusual growth, I wouldn’t worry about it.
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Having grown this rose, I would say this is normal growth. However I don’t live In the states, only seen the disease In photos
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Thanks for that photo, I hade been trying to find good photos of canes but came up short. It’s jsut very different form the previous growth. I’ll keep an eye on it.
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Thanks that is really good to know.
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You’re welcome. Remember, the Damasks sported to mosses and mosses are the prickliest of creatures. It’s possible the new growth on your AD just may try to sport to a moss. That would be fun!
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That never would have occurred to me. Very fun.
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Definitely nor RRD.
Sometimes when roses transition to a new setting or are happy, or it’s spring, they change a little bit, morphing into something a little different for a spell. Thorniness is common.
I have been known to grub out rapidly growing and strange looking shoots that I thought were rootstock before realizing that the rose was own root, and it was just happy growth.
RRD will present with multiple symptoms. Excessive thorniness on its own is not cause for concern. The clustering, congested growth with extreme distortions and short internodal distances is a big one (though similar “witches brooming” can be caused by herbicide drift), and along with hyperpigmentation and excessive thorniness becomes pretty conclusive.
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