Same thing happened to me after the ice storm we had late February/early March. Lots of damage to established roses and lots of resulting canker...I'm actually still pruning out more and more canker every week. I've lost at least two HTs to it so far and several more have been pruned down to bud union, but putting out new growth there. Younger HTs seemed to handle the freeze much better than older ones. I also lost a China and am worried about a few teas. This winter wasn't quite as bad as last for us, but a foot of snow late February after a warm spell that had new growth and leafing out started...and then the ice storm the next week really did a number on my garden.

It's interesting how it takes time for freeze damage to show up. Warm weather sorts out the healthy from damaged stems. I've lost two teas and most of a China. Pruning goes on much longer after one of these late freezes. I covered two of my hydrangeas but left one uncovered. It made a huge difference..the uncovered one is in much worse shape.

Hi Ken, yeah you really have to wait awhile to see the damage. My roses were not that far along due to my procrastinating in pruning (which I guess was a good thing). I protected what I could, but even those roses had some damage. two of my hydrangeas are toast and I have to prune them down to the ground. I haven't lost any roses though. Granted most of my roses are in pots and I was able to bring them inside.

You weren't here for the Great Easter Freeze of 2007. That was a LOT worse. We had a very warm late winter/early spring and not only were my roses fully leafed out, but I had buds and blooms. Everything was killed, I had to reprune all of my roses. I lost two outright, but many never recovered and were dead by the end of the year or by the next year.

Ken, it was even colder here in Asheville, and I didn't do anything about it, but only a couple of plants showed wilting of new growth. However, two weeks later, much of the new growth has gone blind with green leaves rather than russet at the growth tips. I have a number of plants that are not well established, and I'm undecided what to do, since these leaves may be helping the plants accumulate food energy.

In the 2007 freeze, many plants had new shoots 6"-8", which all wilted over and turned blackish inside after a few days. Then it was clear they needed to be stripped off.

Ick! I hate when this happens the most. The dreaded freeze/thaw cycle! It's a true rose killer. Mine haven't been taken out yet because up until last week we were still getting below freezing every night. But I've had this happen MANY times. And, yes, 2007 was the pits! I lost 32 roses to that late freeze. As Buford said, those that didn't die outright eventually succumbed over the season. So keep an eye on them for struggling the rest of the season.

This is one of the reason that I haven't prune any of my roses yet. I just want to wait another week to see in my area although it is a beautiful day today.

I've had to keep on pruning, but most all of mine don't worry me about their health now (just some size, lol). A new one I got last year, Iris Clow, is looking really bad. She's own-root, so hopefully she just needs more time, but I had to cut her down to the soil and one bud that came up since opened to a stunted little leaf. I protected her really well, so she'd better make it, darnit!

I lost a bunch last year with the stupid Polar Vortex. We got as cold this winter, but only for two nights. Two nights straight, unfortunately. Iris Clow didn't need the late freezes, either, clearly :( She was doing not so bad before that.

Ken, what were the varieties that you lost? I am surprised that the established roses were hurt the most, too. Keep us posted and wishing you many healthy blooms!

Ken, same thing in middle GA with the late March freeze. I lost 3 fort grafted HT's and a lot of die back on my older teas and chinas.

There is another one coming next week folks. They are hinting at snow by Thururday or Friday of the week after this with much below temps. all the way to Texas. Hope their wrong. I'm sorry about the damage you suffered.

Kentucky---I lost 2 Louise Estes, 1 Gemini, 1 Lady of the Dawn and 1 Shenandoah. My oldest Louise Estes I had to take all the way to the bud union but have 4 good looking basil breaks coming on it. Both my Brinessa's had to come all the way back along with both Let Freedom Ring and my beautiful bush of Tropicana. They all have good looking basil's on all of them Gemini frustrated me. One bush totally died and the bush right next to the dead one only lost 1 cane out of 5. Took those 4 canes down to 24" and it looks great now. Most of my grafted, established mini's took a hit but nothing really bad. My established grafted miniflora's were hit and miss. Whirlaway lost 2 out of 7 big canes. Then my 7 yr old Tiffany Lynn had to come all the way back but has several basil breaks coming. Dr John Dickman had to come all the way back and only has 1 basil break coming.
But ya know, I'm learning to deal with the weather. My roses are a hobby ( that I take very seriously ) but they are just that. A hobby. They are NOT a life and death situation by any stretch of the imagination. My time in Vietnam years ago taught me what life and death situations were. I might get a little frustrated with my hobby sometimes but I can sit back and smile and say, "what the squat. I'm still here in pretty good shape. I'll just replant and see what happens."