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virus on william baffin roses #870081

Asked May 25, 2024, 4:42 PM EDT

Hello.  I have 14 William Baffin climbing roses along a fence in our front yard. They were planted in September 2020 and have been thriving.  However, this year they are not thriving.  I took some cuttings to The Flower Bin here in Longmont and the expert diagnosed witch's broom virus caused by thrips.  He could find the insect on one of the cuttings and I could see how tiny they are.  The roses are deformed and the plants are not healthy. The Flower Bin said there is no treatment. I could possible see if all the plants would recover, but many of them are barely stems with shrunken new growth. The advice I was given was to pull them out, replace the soil and start over. But the question is with what should I plant? ANother kind of disease resistant rose? Or what.  I have sent photos of the plants as they are now.  They were stunning last year, but unable to load another photo.  Thank you in advance for your help.  Mary Cobb  1010 Fordham St., Longmont Colorado. <personal data hidden>

Boulder County Colorado

Expert Response

Hi Mary,

I'm sorry to hear about your roses. 

If you're interested in growing roses again some resources you might find helpful would be:
A Factsheet on Selecting and Planting Roses for Colorado

A PlantTalk that discusses Roses for Colorado


The PlantSelect tool. If you click the green button that reads "Search right plant right place" you can select the plants based on the bloom color and what conditions they grow best in (shade vs full sun and many other options). These are plants that have proven themselves to do well in our specific climate.

I hope this helps you get started. Please let us know if you have other questions! 

CSU Extension Boulder County Master Gardeners
An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 29, 2024, 8:13 PM EDT

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