That is most assuredly Rose Mosaic Virus. Many grafted Austin roses now have RMV. The plant will likely perform reasonably well in spite of the infection, but you will probably want to sterilize any pruning tools AFTER manicuring/pruning this plant and BEFORE cutting the next plant. The virus CAN be spread by cutting/pruning tools.

Yep. RMV. Shame on David Austin! There's really no excuse in this day and age. I'd better keep an eye on my Munsteads and set aside some pruners for them. #%$€$£¥$&$@&"!!! Carol

Oh no! Thank you Paul and Carol. I hope that I have not already spread it to other roses. I am always careful about cleaning my pruning shears with rubbing alcohol between bushes, but a few weeks ago I know I did something foolish. I used my lightweight snippers to cut a few roses for the house. I cut some Mary Rose, some Winchester Cathedral, and some Siren's Keep. I used the same snipper and put them all into one container before I brought them inside. I don't really give a @%$@ about Winchester Cathedral, but Siren's Keep is a favorite. Oh, I'm so mad at myself! I know better. How long before this could show up? I'm thinking the answer is could be never, could be years from now. But what is the soonest it could show up, if I have indeed infected my Winchester Cathedral or Siren's Keep? I'm just plain disgusted with myself. My parents were coming over and I wanted to show off. I was in a rush, and hope my stupidity doesn't end up costing me a favorite rose. Thank you for the quick response you gave. Best to know and be extra careful now. Lisa

Your other roses are probably just fine, Lisa. If the disease spread that easily, ALL my roses would have RMV! As things stand, only the originally infected ones have it. All were grafted on Dr. Huey. Carol

Yes, I've had RMV on my Heritage for years and none of the other roses have shown signs.

Yes, there really is no excuse for Austin (or anyone) selling roses on virused root stock now. They know what it is, and how to avoid doing that.

The good news - I have 4 old mid 20th century hybrid teas we rescued from deep shade in our garden, and put them in very large pots on the patio (so I could deal with their black spot and rust, as none of my other roses had that). They are all still alive, growing, and blooming. ALL of them show the signs of RMV. They have apparently had it since they were planted 50-60 years ago. Of course, they might have been doing better without it, but it did not kill them or even make them look sick.

Jackie

When a rose is that vigorous and has so many blooms I don't think you have too much to worry about, Lisa. My roses have so many different ailments and pests right now that I'd drive myself crazy if I allowed myself to pay attention. I do hate mildew, though! Perhaps it would make you feel better to remove the stricken leaves and dispose of them.

What annoys me is that they insist that they don't sell virused roses -- when clearly, they DO. (Other vendors have done the same thing, and it always makes me very grouchy. I won't deal with liars.)

If it's budded on Dr. Huey rootstock, assume it's virused. That's just the way it is.

Ok, thank you very much, all of you. I feel quite a bit better after reading all of your comments. Let me tell you, I have been in a tizzy all afternoon. DA selling virused roses! (My dear mother came over this afternoon to join me in pickling and canning all the beets I pulled up this morning. It was still fun, but my mood could have been better.) I can't believe the man and his company would continue to take our money and not fix the problem. It's not like they're struggling to stay afloat. Shame on them! Lisa

I'm a little confused about RMV and pruning tools. I swear I have read articles by Malcom Manners and other academics that said the research shows it only spreads through propagation... and that there isn't any evidence it spreads through contact with pruning tools. Was that old info? Is there new research that says it can spread through cutting tools?

Just curious.

I have a few older roses that show some signs. And a few newer grafted roses that show some discolored leaves too. Honestly, I'm really not too worried about it since they all seem to be healthy and productive otherwise. I wont be taking cuttings from them though.

I don't clean my pruners in between roses. So if it did spread that way, I would think I would have more RMV showing in the yard.

I too have read pruners do not spread RMV.

While I trust that Malcolm has provided thoughtful information on the subject, I don't think anyone has yet proven that transmission by cutting tools is NOT a potential vector. I suspect the risk level is very, very low, but it may be a non-zero risk.

Well, I think I'll just go with "better safe than sorry". I was so upset that first afternoon, that I'm not going to risk my own root roses. I guess I'll mark one pruner "For David Austin's sick roses" HA HA, Mr. Austin. Lisa

David Austin could easily afford to clean up his roses of RMV, but obviously chooses not to do so. I would complain both direct to David Austin Roses AND to my state's department of agriculture (look up which office/division in your state handles plant inspections/disease surveillance). If your state believes in consumer protection, they may take steps to prevent his sending roses into your state until he has cleaned them up of RMV. Ethics doesn't seem to be a motivator--perhaps a hit to the pocketbook will be.

O, for shame, for shame! And considering the prices that DA charges, too. I agree with Tessiess.

Honestly, they COULD clean it up -- but at this point, it wouldn't be EASY. First, they'd have to replace all of the Dr. Huey rootstock, and re-stock with VI or seedling stock. Then, they'd have to find clean scions.

And, here's the deal -- I have bought roses that came from a mother plant obtained directly from Austin in England ... and THEY were virused. Badly. And that's not surprising ... The U.S. send virused plants across the pond, so it's spread there, too.

There are actually virus-free plants of many roses ... but it's mostly either very new things never budded to Huey . . . OR very old things, growing long before the viruses came along. (This "George Washington Richardson", for instance, tests clean.)

And, FWIW, if I really want to grow something, and there is no virus-free stock of it, I will grow it.

Yes, shame on him. I don't know why it irks me even more, knowing this is the only Austin I ever paid full price for, but it does. I'm always one to pick up DA's at the end of the season for $10, $7, or $5, but not this one. I was staying with my Aunt while looking for just the right house, and then escrow. I gardened there for her, but she doesn't like roses. In desperation, I purchased a huge stone urn at a garage sale for $10 and Mary Rose at a local nursery for almost $40. They are both here at my home some 6 years later. I know it shouldn't make a difference, but when I think of what I paid when I so could not afford it, it burns me up. My massive urn was certainly the better buy! Lisa

It's inexcusable to sell brand new plants infected with virus. Period.

Yes, I feel ripped off. I was. Lisa

Yes, as challenging as it is to clean up the stock, it should have begun a number of years ago. Sigh.

However, I doubt that the virus is going to harm your MR. I'm guessing that she will thrive and continue to produce bunches of sweet pink blooms...and offer you some "decorative variegated foliage" as a bonus. My next door neighbor has a Peace rose that has been infected since the 1950s. It is neglected and growing in shade, and it produces lovely, big blooms year after year. I have a Mr. Lincoln from the 1960s that's infected (along with its Dr. Huey rootstock). It grows 12 feet tall and blooms all summer. So it goes. :-)

Maybe you could plant some blue flowered companions to set off the pink roses and green and gold foliage. Add a few more green and gold variegated plants to compliment the exotic colors of your MR. (Not kidding.) I have golden lamium under Mr. Lincoln. They're rather pretty together. I also grow a Philadelphus Innocence nearby. And Alchemilla mollis.

I hope you can enjoy the beauty of your rose, foliage and all. The urn was an amazing score! Your rose is no less lovely. Carol

P.S. I just "liked" your photos. MR is gorgeous! Carol

I hate to say it, but the new roses I have that are showing signs of viruses are mostly DAs too. They came from Regan's. I picked them up in person in the pulp pots back in fall when they were on sale. Tess of The D'Urbervilles, Winchester Cathedral, and Heathcliff all show signs. A few others that are not DAs also show signs... The HTs Peach Swirl and Black Baccara. All new.

I'm probably not knowledgeable enough to be as outraged.

I'm not too worried about it. The blooms look great on each of the roses that have the yellow funky splotches and mosaic lines. The foliage, besides having those yellow splotches, look healthy.

I actually think it looks a little pretty, like its variegated. If I didn't know it was a virus I would like it. The bushes overall look very healthy. If I was exhibiting or more serious, I would be upset. But for me, in this very favorable hot climate, where I am just growing for enjoyment... I just am not that worried about it. I guess in this case ignorance (and a laid back attitude) is bliss.

I may be a bit more careful with my pruners though. And of course I won't take cuttings from any of those.

@Cori Ann:

Although it is much less likely to be an issue where you grow roses, severely infected plants like the 'Mary Rose' shown above can have drastically reduced winter hardiness and are more likely to succumb to freeze damage. It has also been shown that roses infected with one or more viruses (RMV is not a single virus - it can be one of several. Prunus Necrotic Ring Spot aka PNRSV is possibly the most widespread of them) have a decreased bloom production capacity in the vicinity of 10 to 25%. While conspicuously virused plants may perform adequately in many gardens, they are compromised plants, health-wise.

If it were me, I would have a conversation with the nursery I bought them from to at least express my disappointment in having paid good money for diseased plants (yes, PNRSV is a disease pathogen). Whether or not you seek some kind of compensation for it is entirely up to you, of course. They may not even offer you any.

Lisa Adams (10a). Most of the above comments are in general accurate for those who live in warm climates. However, without mentioning that roses have an immune system that fights many virus infections at higher temperatures but not at cool temperatures, cool climate readers can be mislead as to whether they should keep virused roses. For further reading on the subject of the temperature dependence, I suggest:

https://sites.google.com/site/temperatureandrosemosaicvirus/home

You also may want to practice the pruning advice given above (particularly in the cooler months when the virus will probably have a significant concentration in the above ground parts of the rose). See the following link:

http://ceventura.ucanr.edu/Gardening/Coastal/Landscape_578/Viruses_Menu/Rose_Virus/

When I had it happen, I was never offered any compensation. I gather that if you order from Austin, they will replace your virused rose with a new virused rose ... an exercise in futility.

I don't buy many roses these days, and those I do, I usually know "where they came from."

Thanks Paul. Of course you're 100% right. But for me, I feel kind of bad for the nursery. I'm assuming they were sold the bareroot rose already virused and they potted it up in pulp pots to sell. So they were sold a bad bill of goods too. We both were. I think the right group to actually lodge a complaint with would be the grower. Maybe I will contact the nurseries just with the hopes that they pass it along to the grower or at least to their contact.

I did get them all 50% off already since I shopped the sale, and they are all growing nicely so far, at least to my satisfaction... so I'm not personally feeling like I need compensation. If I was in a climate where this severely impacted the rose I would probably be flaming pissed and my attitude would not be so laid back about it!

Thanks again for that info Henry. Very informative!

You certainly are quite the little lemonade maker aren't you, Cori Ann? I never would have thought of such a thing. Since I am smothering the grass and adding to this bed, here are a few pics inspired by your suggestions:)

Lisa

I like that Golden lemon thyme. Is it easy to find? Did you do seeds or plants? Maybe plants, I'm thinking. The suggestion of Lady's Mantle is actually a very good one. I'm going to use that for sure. I found a great cultivar "Robustica", that does well here in S CA. I've had a few plants for years, but recently ordered seed from Jelitto seeds. Lisa

Super easy to find around here and I do flats then I sometimes divide it or root it later if I want a bunch more. Or I just take a shortcut snd buy more flats, like here. Nice savory fragrance too. And if you want to you can use it to cook with. :-)

Yes I'm a lemonade kind of person... Or maybe lemoncello. ;-)

Great! I'll keep my eye out for it as I dig up more grass! Thanks, Cori Ann

I purchased a Queen of Sweden on sale last year that very clearly had RMV, but figuring it was very unlikely to spread to my other roses I thought, "no harm, no foul" and since it had been on my list and was right there in front of me for cheap, I grabbed it. I toyed with mentioning something to the nursery as it was clear that most of their stock of DA's had RMV, but since there I was buying one anyway I didn't think my complaint would carry much weight. I also overheard one sales person recommending to a customer to prune back his roses hard in the fall (!) so I wasn't going to try to get into the more complicated business of root stock health with these people. So far this spring, my QoS has yet to exhibit any signs of the virus and looks identical in emergent foliage to my other roses, so time will tell on this one I think.

O/T - Lisa, thank you for posting the pics of your MR with the chartreuse companions! Even with not taking into account the leaf variegation, I quite like that combination. I need to replace the floppy nepeta currently underplanting a row of Mayflowers along my fence line. Mayflower is very similar in color value and bloom form to Mary Rose I believe. I was thinking of another blue companion, but now I might need to go lime green instead.