I wonder if those were egg-laying sites for annual cicada or some similarly-acting insect? They saw slits in the bark to deposit eggs. The pointed ends to the lesions are not like canker.

Did you have a late, freak cold snap in late spring? I don't know if it is even possible down there in sunny, warm Texas but just in case.

I've seen this happen up here in Mi. when a late frost hits. Usually after the growth gets activated, for some reason the canes split and look very similar to yours. Just a very wild idea I'm throwing out there to you.

Betty

Michael - I actually found a cicada shell laying in front of the rosebush next to this one, so I don't know if that's a real possibility or not.

Betty - I'm in Texas and we always have crazy weather, but this year has been crazier than most, so that's a possibility also.

Laurie

As for pruning, traditional wisdom is that if the bark is dead on 50% of the circumference (picture 1?), the cane should come off. It appears that the sores have healed, so the main concern is they reduce the flow of water and nutrients through the cane. I wouldn't prune it all out, myself, since some of the wounds are small and scattered.

If it is a cicada, grubs fed for a short time in the cane and dropped into the soil to feed on roots. The shell would be from an adult emerging from the soil a year later. It's evidence that cicadas do reproduce in your rose bed. Probably not a big deal, though.

Looks like rose canker to me.

Here is a link that might be useful: Perennial And Rose Gardening

Seat of the pants, these look like mechanical damage of some kind. I don't know cicadas, so I can't comment on whether they do that to a rose. I don't think it's canker, tho. The edges aren't raised at all.

FWIW, I find that although BD is classed as a shrub, it likes to work on new wood for each successive flush. The canes are green and soft. Deadheading can be a bit tricky, as growth nodes aren't exactly predictable. BD will slowly starve and kill off canes above new growth. One the first signs I notice are splits in the canes. Checking below those, I'll find new growth, a reminder that I should have deadheaded.

msrose, Something I forgot to mention is that although I have seen similar bark-splits on my roses, particularly after those warm and freeze cycles we are so used to up here, my roses still do well, michaelg reminded me of that.

I agree, mechanical damage may also be the culprit as berndoodle points out! I've got young boys who occasionally misdirect the edge trimmer as they are doing yard work chores.

Another culprit idea may be a naughty little boy, or girl for that matter, with a big stick lOL!

Betty

Some of my roses had that years ago. Thought at first it was hail damage. I just cut out all the bad parts and the parts you can't cut, just watch them.
I have never heard a "good" explanation.

Carla

I am with Cass-think its pruning wounds.Felt so right away but afraid to say so.lol

FWIW, cicada damage is mechanical damage. They use the ovipositor to saw jagged slits in stems.

sorry didn't know that.

I vote for Cicada damage. We just had the 17 year cicadas here this summer and your damage looks similar to the damage we now have on many of our Oak, Walnut, & Elm trees.
I'm guessing it is the yearly cicada -- your damage is not as severe. We are loosing any growth beyond the damage on our trees. Luckily, they did not damage our roses.

Not cicadas based on the two kinds of cicadas we've had here. The 13 year made a series of slightly offset short slits; the regular gals make two and three inch long slits on the undersides of the stems/canes.
If the canes were larger and/or older, the breaks might be where thorns were knocked off. But they aren't....based on the size of the thorns. Some (the ones oriented at an angle to the canes) suggest thorn damage from another cane. But that doesn't fit the available suspects.
It happened several months ago...the canes are still growing.
Look for other bugs with ovipositers.

Thanks for trying to help me figure out what it is. I guess I'll just leave it alone for now and hope it does okay.

Laurie

I was told in the past (by a former rose nursery owner and consulting rosarian) that those types of "cracks" are sometimes caused by a freeze thaw cycle. She told me they usually heal with no serious damage done.

However, there may be other things out there that can cause the same symptoms. Insect damage makes sense too.

I'd say keep an eye on the bush and if something starts to look worse, prune that area off. You may want to snip the worst part off with the most damage, as indicated in the first photo. I don't think I would prune all of them off. Hopefully you'll start getting some new canes eventually.