FWIW, I have heard recommendations of spraying with full-strength Listerine. It makes some sense, as it certainly would kill bacteria.
I accordingly used Listerine on an affected plant, and it cleared up, put up new canes, and lived. But I hasten to say that YMMV!

In similar outbreaks, we quit pruning affected roses. No cutting into healthy canes, "just because you should."

Jeri

Phyton 27 is a fungicide and bacteriacide and it is systemic so it can kill the bacteria that have already invaded the tissues of the plant. It is probably the best product to use for bacterial blight. Do not confuse it with physan 20 which is another bacteriacide labeled for use on roses but it is not systemic and cannot kill the bacteria inside the plant.

Jeri, thanks for your suggestion. I'm just wondering if it is practical to spray two dozen roses with Listerine. I guess I could buy it by the gallon! I'd already come to the conclusion that pruning healthy canes in the middle of an epidemic wasn't very wise. Unfortunately, I'd already pruned before most of the damage showed up.
everyrose, Thanks for the information. I have a no spray garden, so it's with reluctance that I would use Phyton 27. It sounds like something from outer space! I guess it's better than another epidemic. Diane

What does it look like? Two of my Eveyln rose bushes also show signs of an infection on the canes. All the canes are covered with this purple/ black dots. None of my other roses have this. I was afraid that this disease might infect my other roses so I pruned those canes right to the base. Thinking of getting rid of the two Evelyn rose bushes if this disease is contagious.

jumbojimmy, according to Dr. Krishna Mohan,plant pathologist, the bacterium first shows at leaf scars,vegetative buds, or wounds, as reddish brown areas on the cane. These blotches expand, later turning dark purple, then to black or dead tissue. This is pretty much what I've seen in my roses. No cultivar is immune, and blight can occur on any kind of rose, and in my case, it has occurred in about two dozen roses of different type, showing up in February into May. I'm hoping to save most of my roses by cutting the infected canes off well below the affected areas. On the whole, the roses are looking better than a couple of weeks ago. Good luck. Diane

Jimmy, there are many fungi that can cause dark spots on bark. These may be nearly harmless or can develop into localized cankers, not a big deal.

The bacterial blight is a catastrophic disease similar to fireblight of cherries. The lesions on old canes ooze when mature, and young growth develops black areas before wilting and dying. Phyton 27 is the recommended treatment. It should be widely available, as it is commonly used to treat verticillium of Japanese maples.

Years ago, I lost a fine plant of Heritage to bacterial blight. I chose to remove the plant before the disease spread to others. There was no recurrence.

Another disease from Hell to worry about. You have my sympathies Diane.

Diane, my sympathies as well. Good grief - in what is normally a disease-free zone we live in - to have this suddenly crop up is truly traumatic. I'm going to look into Phyton 27; and I never spray.

Hang in there - this too shall pass.

Thanks everyone, for your sympathy and advice. I'm happy to report that my roses are looking much better now. Some are quite a bit smaller due to the whacking, but they bounced back so much better than I would ever have thought two or three weeks ago. I never thought Evelyn, that heartbreaker, had it in her, but all my Evelyns are totally rejuvenated after being cut to the ground, and looking fresh and beautiful (no blooms, but buds already), and smaller, of course. Thanks again. Diane

Anyone have pictures?

I am bringing this thread back because it might be of help to rosetom and his cane canker problem. Note that the kind of canker my roses had was bacterial, not fungal. Bacteria and fungus are two different kinds of organisms. Diane

I bringing this up for Trish (titian) to read......Trish have you read this? I lost no roses just by cutting them back. I remember this well. I didn't use a thing on the roses besides cutting out the bad canes. Dr. Mohan didn't say anything about bacteria entering the cane in ice crystals--just showing up at leaf scars, vegetative buds, and wounds. I've never heard of the ice crystal thing. Jeri's suggestion of trying listerine is interesting. I would think ethyl alcohol (booze) would work better. Diane

For reference, this is the scientific report:

http://www.actahort.org/books/870/870_12.htm

Are cane canker and bacterial cane blight the same thing or are they different diseases?