A Rose is a Rose....
Close to the Jefferson County Extension Office on a traffic
island, knockout roses have been blooming their hearts out all summer. This group of roses is one of the hardest
working plantings in the city! No
supplemental water, pruning, fertilizer, pesticides or winter protection. They bloom repeatedly and bring color to the
intersection. Even heat and exhaust from
traffic does not seem to bother them. Few perennials give such a performance in
the summer. Knockout roses may not be the biggest or most exotic roses to grow, but they sure are the easiest. Consider
them for areas that need color but may be difficult to access. The only problem
they may have is a susceptibility to rose rosette, a phytoplasma infection
spread by a microscopic mite (no you can’t control the mite with pesticides
-it’s too small). All plants in the genus Rosa
are susceptible to Rose rosette; the symptoms include excessive growth (witch’s
broom), purplish-red coloration, excessive thorns, leaf distortion and thick
cane production. Infected plants will
decline and may not survive the winter. There is no cure... The best control is to be
aware of the disease then remove and destroy affected plants as soon as
possible. All multiflora roses (Rosa multiflora) should be removed from
neighborhoods as these are the host plants for the mite.( Multiflora roses were
first used as living fences or hedges but are now considered noxious weeds.) No
plants are perfect; there are always advantages and disadvantages to the
choices we make for our landscapes. In the long run, Knockout roses will out-perform
many perennials and are my choice for summer color! Day lilies (Stella D’Oro), Brown-eyed Susan, Coreopsis,
Butterfly-weed, Lavender, Coneflower and Crape myrtle are all reliable color
for summer too.
