I think it could be variegated. It would really help to see pictures of more mature leaves. Your rose appears to have clean slashes of white, light green and dark green, which is what you want to see in a variegated roses. Blended greens are usually from disease, and your rose does not appear to have this.

A link to Verschuren from Paul Barden's website, Old Garden Roses & Beyond. His shows the variegation as speckles because it's grown in a greenhouse. Verschuren is a known variegated rose.

Here's a link to a close-up of Verschuren leaves from Help-Me-find Roses, photo by Jeffrey. Note the clean slashes of white, light green and dark green.

But again, a better picture of your roses would help, but the more mature leaves do look like they could be variegated.

Just keep in mind that albinos, even partial albino plants such as variegated roses, tend to burn in the sun. If you plan look further into this and consider growing this as a possible sport, it may require a bright shade to keep the leaves from burning in the bright sun.

The link at the bottom shows what the variegation looks like when grown outside, this one is shown on a hibiscus, though, not a rose. I like the picture and I wanted to include it.

I hope you have something nice. Good luck!
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The URLs to the links I used above, for those who can't open them through the html.

Verschuren, by Paul Barden, from Old Garden Roses and Beyone
http://paulbardenroses.com/hybridteas/verschuren.html

Close up of Verschuren leaves, by Jeffrey, from Help-Me-Find Roses:
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.86467

Here is a link that might be useful: About.com landscaping - Variegated Hibiscus Leaf

I agree with Marbree. This could be actual variegation. It's sure not the usual pattern of rose mosaic. There's an older variegated rose called Curiousity, too.

Sorry folks. That is wrong. Scentimental is NOT a variegated rose. Vershuren is a variegated rose, and I think that there are a few other varieties -- maybe three -- that have been commercially introduced over the years with variegated foliage. Scentimental is not one of them. The picture posted above is of a rose with RMV.

Your plant of Scentimental probably is grafted on Dr. Huey rootstock, which is the likely source of the RMV, or else it is an own root rose grown from a cutting of a plant that was, in some earlier generation, grown on infected Dr. Huey rootstock. RMV is very common on Dr. Huey. Here's another article.

Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Another RMV article

One of the reasons that I think it could possibly be variegation is that in the top picture on the left side - center are also new leaves from the same plant. They aren't showing any white splotches. A virus would infect the whole plant, while a plant could be predominately variegated on only one side.

RMV can show itself on just one branch or even just on a few leaves. Unless this is really bad case it will not be all over the bush. In my experience Scentimental rose is very often sold virused. I had two plants several years ago, from different nurseries, both had RMV.
I wouldn't try to put silver lining here, this rose is virused. Where did you buy it? I would try to return this rose and ask my money back in this situation.
Olga

Better pics.
The rose was bought at a real nursery & was not a body bag rose.

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That's also incorrect insofar as roses are concerned. RMV commonly shows its symptoms in just one part of the rose plant, or often, just at certain times of the year. I have a couple of roses that I know are infected with RMV that I keep just because these particular varieties are not available in commerce without RMV -- that is to say that all known stock from which new plants could be produced has already been infected. Kupferkonigen, Pompeii and Monet are some of these in my collection. The same goes for nearly all of the Brownell roses -- most of them do not exist in commerce absent RMV. My RMV-infected roses have not shown "full plant" infection, ever, that I can recall. It just shows up here and there, occasionally. There are generrally at least some completely green leaves. But these roses are fully infected, and I know it.

It's not necessary, or even recommended, but I generally pick off the leaves that show RMV symptoms just because I do not like to look at them.

Here's another article for your reading pleasure.

Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr. Manners on RMV

Please do not be in any rush to remove or dispose of this growth ... it truly appears to be as healthy variegation. The large stem showing this colorful growth had in all likelihood also produced such last year while still in the nursery ... I can also see more such variegation up another stem to the right. PLEASE allow it to grow on and observe how this variegation holds up to the sun and heat. If it remains healthy and stable, then either cuttings could be taken or budding (grafting) done onto a rootstock, so as to be grown on as a separate plant. IF it holds true and of good health, it then could be named as a new variety...

I have such a branch growing on a wild rose within my yard, though the mostly white leaves burn badly in the sun.

Terrance

No,viruses do not often (if ever?) exhibit symptoms on the whole plant. Roses have an immune system that works better in warmer climates that often/usually? can stop (localize) a virus infection.

I have never seen a rose virus that looks like that, but there have been a number of new rose viruses reported in the last couple of years so it may be one that we are not familar with. It also could be the symptoms from infection by several rose viruses at one time. I do not know enough about variegation to comment. I would think that Paul Barden or one of the researchers at Davis may be able to help. The second reference posted on on Thu, Mar 17, 11 at 18:14 is based (I feel) on "old" thinking and I do not recommend it. The first reference is dated 1977 and so it also is out of date.

Here are 2 recent ones:

http://pubsadmin.caes.uga.edu/files/pdf/B%20671_2.PDF

http://ceventura.ucdavis.edu/Coastal_Gardener/Rose_Virus.htm

Henry - please repost the second link -- the UC Davis one -- that link doesn't seem to work. Thanks.

Sorry the new Davis link is given below.

Here is a link that might be useful: new Davis link

I've grown 'Curiosity' and yours looks like a variegated rose to me.

That doesn't mean it is, but don't toss it!! (imho :)

My assumption would be it's a form of sporting, btw. I don't know enough about the gentics to know much about it, but it is curious that a red-and-white striped rose showed this. Ooooh! Variegation in flower and leaf, maybe???

I'm sorry, but I think that's a climate or nutrition related issue. Every once in awhile I will have a plant do that in the early spring, altho it's usually just white and no variegation. If a bud develops, it usually doesn't amount to much. I usually just cut that part off. Altho, ya know, looking at your last pic there, it really does look like a mutated variegation. Maybe you have a really cool new sport like Meredith says. That would be really trippy to see a striped rose with variegated leaves!

I guess I agree with Beth on this. I've never seen, in my garden or in a book or online, a case of rose mosaic virus that looks like this. Also, don't you think it highly unlikely that a mutation would arise in several different locations on a plant all at the same time? I vote for "climate or nutrition related issue".

The stem (s) producing this variegation had in all likelihood also shown such variegation last year while still growing in the nursery row. A plant can exhibit unstable variegation, such variegation can be sprinkled throughout the plant ... I have a pincherry tree that does just such and have seen this occurrence on several shrubs.

Maybe weather-related, development affected due to a cold night?? Only way to know for sure is let it grow over the season and see what happens to it.

'Sentimental' had absolutely outstanding rust resistance here, and never any mildew, but it was essentially a once-bloomer (spring only) and the flowers were very ephemeral. Three days of flowers and it was done for the year.

A shame, because the clean foliage was really attractive--the plant would be absolutely full of beautiful foliage--just never bloom. Long gone, long gone.

I have never seen RMV manifest as illustrated in your photos.

I think there is a possibility that a mutation has resulted in honest-to-goodness variegation, as we have seen in 'Verschuren', which I have first hand knowledge of. I'm not suggesting that there is zero possibility that it might be virus induced variegation, but I am very doubtful that this is the result of a standard RMV-causing virus.

The fact that the variegation appears to affect a significant portion of the plant does not preclude sporting (mutation), since it had to have originated as a mutation in a single bud of tissue, and potentially, significant portions of the plant displayed the variegation while growing in the producer's fields. At harvest time (late Fall) it would have been difficult to isolate the variegated specimen unless it was tagged/removed during the growing season, and so it is conceivable that this specimen was dug, packed and sold along with the rest.

As others have pointed out, they have bought virused specimens of 'Scentimental', and yours may in fact be virused. However, that does not preclude the possibility that is might also be a legitimate variegated sport. Keep it for the rest of the growing season and see how the foliage develops. There are only a handful of genuinely variegated roses in the world and a new sport could potentially be a welcome addition. It would be a shame to throw it away based on premature assumptions about its origin.

Paul Barden

I'd suggest y'all look past the patterns on the affected leaves and look at the leaves themselves. Many of them are not symmetric with contorted growth and unequal leaves on sides of the rachis.
The leaves are also contorted in that the vein growth hasn't kept up with the growth between veins.

There is a pink variant that appears in some RMVs instead of the yellow discoloration most of us are familiar with. I first saw it on a Dream Rose the first year Dream roses were introduced; it was a vein clearing pattern on that one.

There is more known almost every day about the group of diseases we lump as RMV. Just today I got a preprint of a paper that mentioned a RMV that I'd never heard of before...

This pattern on the leaves fits "mosaic" because the margins of the discolored areas are sharp; mottle is the word used for margins that are hazy where the transition occurs.

Paul Barden said ... "The fact that the variegation appears to affect a significant portion of the plant does not preclude sporting (mutation), since it had to have originated as a mutation in a single bud of tissue, and potentially, significant portions of the plant displayed the variegation while growing in the producer's fields" ...

I totally agree with Paul's comments.

Terrance

Agree, agree with trospero. Doesn't look like any RMV virus I've ever seen and I'm betting on a sport. At least enough to wait a year or more and see how this one develops; might be useful to get in touch with someone like Paul and see if it could be vegetatively propagated because a mutation could be extremely valuable.

I had a similar yellow/green variegation pop up once on a single stem of an own root "Survivor". Unfortunately, vegetative cuttings never grew well...my loss.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings blog

Anntn6b, can you give us any hint as to where to watch for the new rose virus article?

The rose is not going anywhere. I emailed UC Davis & they(1 person) agrees with the majority here & says its not a disease. I will post updates throughout the year on its progress/decline.
Tim

I have had these symptoms on roses growing in very bad soil; boggy, wet, too much peatmoss, or very dense and dead soil.

Frost nights can give similar symptoms too, and long periods of rain, however not very likely in California? Anything that interferes with nutrient absorbsion can result in this, be it water, dense soil that is not breathing; some condition that binds the nutrients in the soil, ph, too much of this or that.

If the canes look damaged in some way where the white growth occurs that also might be an explanation.

There is a group of insects called Heteroptera, that when suck on canes and new growth give this type of dwarfed growth, but I have never seen the degree of clorosis with these insect atacks.

closer investigation is needed ;-)

Best of luck

(Quote) Posted by thahalibut Z-9 CA%2C SSZ-9 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 21, 11 at 12:23

The rose is not going anywhere. I emailed UC Davis & they(1 person) agrees with the majority here & says its not a disease. I will post updates throughout the year on its progress/decline.
Tim (unquote)

Congratulations, Tim, on getting someone from the UC of Davis to confirm that it's not a disease, and instead is a possible sport. I hope for the best and look forward to seeing pictures of the further development of your rose.

Please be careful that the sun doesn't burn it due to the albinoism aspect of the white leaves.

Good luck and again, congratulations!

I seriously doubt it is a sport. A sport usually only happens in a cane or a lateral. That means the cane would be uniformly variegated while the rest of the plant would stay healthily green. Variegated leaves caused by a sport should not have malformed growth.

On what grounds does the rose nursery claim it's not a disease? I rather suspect it is, because with out them knowing more; like there unknowingly has been propagated a sport of Sentimental in their fields, or these plants have been tested for virus it is unlikely they have any ground to their claims.

On the other hand it doesn't have to be virus. There are a number of causes other than virus that have been listed by posters in this thread. If there have been trouble with virused roses the nursery probably knows about it.

If it is some kind of problem with absorption of nutrient, there is a pretty shore test you can do. Buy a type 100 % water soluble fertilizer (the Miracle Grow type) with all NPK and trace elements, preferably double the amount of kalium than nitrogen. Water the plant with this regularly, like two three times a week. Every fourth of fifth watering can be with weak solution of calcium nitrate (pure calcium bound nitrogen). This will show on the plant within a few days, and within a couple of weeks even badly clorotic leaves will improve dramtically, if not always entirely. New growth will be all fine. If this treatment results in healthy clean growth you can be pretty shore it is caused by lack of nutrients, or at least something blocking the nutrient absorption. The side effect of this treatment is roses very badly prepared for winter so it's really not a good idea in areas with frosty winters, at least only in spring / early summer. Action needed to be taken; dig up rose and improve soil with appropriate amendments. If this has no effect on the plant, you know it isn't caused by nutrient deficiency.

If you can find traces of bugs that have been sucking on buds and new growth, they can give symptoms not unlike these. Then there should be tiny puncture holes some where, and the insects are a bit difficult to define; there is lots of different ones, belonging to the Heteroptera family. At least you should find some of the sinners jumping or flying around your roses.

If it's been propagated from a sport, then it would exhibit the qualities of the photo. So the original sport likely occurred without notice and got propagated. This could easily occur in a field situation. This is definitely not a virus because of the large planes of albino tissue in the leaves...much like variegated pothos ivy.

Yes, it could easily happen, but should also easily be detected, but also missed if there's little opportunity to inspect the fields in summer. It's not impossible, but I would expect a variegated sport, especially propagated to be more stable, not have only one cane with few eyes sprouting variegated leaves and laterals. If they turn green later in the season, it's more likely virus, lack of nutrition, or something else. Later in summer thahalibut shall know more.

Regards :-)

It wasn't the plant company that said it doesn't look like a disease. It was a person from UC Davis. It's a university where they study plant diseases.

Here is a link that might be useful: UC Davis Plant Pathology

These pics were taken 4-14-11. Some of the variegation has gotten burnt. We had a few days in the upper 70s & maybe a day or 2 at 80. If its sun burn I guess I will have to make shade for them very soon. The plant is healthy & doing as well as all the others are.

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thahalibut ... that's too bad, though rather what I had expected with the white variegation bordering the edge of the leaves and becoming burnt. Had the white instead been contained within the center and the green at the edge, you'd likely be seeing healthier foliage. I had the same results with an asclepias (butterfly weed) that has sprouted forth some very attractive variegation and being bordered in yellow, unfortunately the edges would often be fried.

Terrance

Update. The variegation looked the same until may/june with little growth, the rest of the plant grew much more. Then around July there was just one stem left that had variegated leaves. The end of July sometime all variegated leaves were gone. The stem is alive today but shows no growth & is about 6-8" long & has no leaves. The other spotty leaves around the plant that were variegated just vanished, not sure what happened to them, but they are gone. The plant itself is pretty healthy.

Variegated forms of all plants are usually weaker. There's less chlorophyll to feed the plant in the same leaf surface area as a non-variegate. You may see some return next spring if that branch is left.

Back in the early 90s, Heirloom sold a variegated foliage mini which sported from Britestripe. I grew it until it reverted. As with many variegated plants which are sports from solid colored foliage versions, you have to continually prune off the solid foliage to encourage the variegation to continue. The un variegated form is far more vigorous and will eventually take over from the variegation. That's what happened to the striped foliaged mini. It's not even listed on HMF.

It's a common issue with variegated shrubs of all types. Kim

can we get an update on this plant? was it variegation or was it the RMV?