Mutant Roses ??

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by LittleRedHen, Aug 6, 2010.

  1. LittleRedHen

    LittleRedHen Member

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    Location:
    Cobble Hill BC
    I tried to post this in the rose forum but it seems locked down.

    Anyone have any idea what's going on with this rose bush? According to the owner it flowered normally last year but this year each rose has up to 15 buds growing out of the center of each flower.

    Anyone seen this before? Any idea what causes it?

    Thank you!
     

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  2. Lysichiton

    Lysichiton Active Member

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    Location:
    Fraser Valley, BC.
    It looks similar to mossy rose galls, that are fairly common round my way. There are a variety of rose galls with both insect & bacterial causes. I have not seen this effect in the middle of the rose blooms before.

    Or this could be a "somatic mutation" as in the adjacent post on Hemlocks. I favour the galls explanation, from the limited photos & info available.

    Hopefully there is someone with more experience & knowledge than I out there. In the meantime you could follow up rose galls on the net.

    BTW, I quite like the insect-caused galls that I see. Mossy rose galls can look like a burst of flowers. The parasitic wasps that cause this effect & many other galls, are beneficial to gardeners as far as I know, & any damage to the plant is transitory.


    gb.
     

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