Rose Mosaic

Rose mosaic, while not harmful for the plants, isn't exactly pretty either.

The symptoms of this virus are a white or light yellowish combination of spots or lines. The resulting pattern resembles a mosaic, hence the name. The problem with this issue is that it is not a local fungus or pest issue. Once a plant is infected, it is infected. Even if you remove the infected area, rest assured it is there.

Roses infected with RMV will still grow and bloom for the most part, they just won't be the beautiful show rose quality you want. You'd have to remove the whole plant as there is no current treatment for this plant that can be done in the yard.

One way to prevent rose mosaic is to make sure that the roses you plant are virus-free. Good nurseries should check that they are disease free before selling, but not all do. Its another reason why you should go to a reputable breeder or online store. Roses that are certified virus free are called indexed, so you can check with breeders on whether or not they are "indexed" roses or not.