Knowledgebase
Rose Rosette discovered in my Knock out scrub roses #859658
Asked February 22, 2024, 3:06 PM EST
Wake County North Carolina
Expert Response
Rose rosette is now so widespread that no notifications are needed. If it was a more localized disease or pest then the Wake County horticulture extension agent would be notified and then sthe appropriate control agency would take over. The virus is airborne in that it is spread by mites that carry the virus. These mites can travel quite far, so if there was rose rosette anywhere near you, then it could have come from another rose. In order for the landscaping company to have brought the mites to your plants they would have had to have been cutting diseased plants fairly recently as research has shown that the mites can only live a few days without a host. Also, the disease can be in the plant for several months before symptoms appear.