Plant Symptom Chart

Plant · 8 symptoms · 2 Extension services

Rose: what the symptom points to

Match what you actually see on your rose bush — leaf spots, a powdery coating, chewed edges or sticky residue — to the likely cause below, then compare how university extension programs describe each one.

Compared here: Clemson Cooperative Extension, University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension. Last checked 2026-09-27.

01Yellowing leaves

Possible causeClemson
Rose mosaic
Clemson Cooperative Extension says look for wavy yellow line patterns, ring spots, or a mottled look in the leaves. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Diseases
Spider mites
Clemson Cooperative Extension says early on, the upper sides of leaves show yellow or white speckling. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Insects & Related Pests

02Spots on leaves

Possible causeClemsonWisconsin
Black spot
Clemson Cooperative Extension says leaves show round black spots that grow larger over time and end up ringed by a patch of yellow tissue. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Diseases
No matching line in the Wisconsin pages we checked.
Rust
Clemson Cooperative Extension says orange-colored spots show up on the stems and leaves, and in bad cases an orange, dust-like coating can cover the plant and the ground beneath it. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Diseases
University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension says the tell-tale sign is yellow spots on top of the leaf lined up with matching orange to black powdery spots underneath. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Rust
Rose leafhopper
Clemson Cooperative Extension says leafhopper feeding leaves behind small white stippling, or tiny dots, across the upper leaf surface, which can merge until the leaf looks almost white. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Insects & Related Pests
No matching line in the Wisconsin pages we checked.

03White or powdery coating

Possible causeClemson
Powdery mildew
Clemson Cooperative Extension says a grayish-white powdery coating forms on the surfaces of young leaves, shoots and buds. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Diseases
Botrytis blight
Clemson Cooperative Extension says rose flowers and buds often develop a fuzzy gray-brown mold growth. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Diseases

04Sticky leaves or black film

Possible causeClemson
Aphids
Clemson Cooperative Extension says aphid honeydew lets dark sooty mold fungi grow over the leaves, giving them a grimy look. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Insects & Related Pests

05Holes and chewed leaves

Possible causeClemsonWisconsin
Japanese beetles
Clemson Cooperative Extension says their feeding skeletonizes rose leaves, leaving only the network of veins behind. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Insects & Related Pests
No matching line in the Wisconsin pages we checked.
Roseslug sawfly
Clemson Cooperative Extension says young larvae chew out the leaf tissue between the veins, leaving a papery, see-through window that later turns brown, while the veins themselves stay intact. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Insects & Related Pests
University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension says the larvae scrape away the soft leaf tissue but leave the tougher veins behind, a pattern called skeletonization. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Roseslug Sawfly
Leafcutting bees
Clemson Cooperative Extension says female leafcutting bees snip clean, semi-circular notches out of the leaf edges to carry off and line their nests, leaving a smooth-edged cut unlike ragged pest chewing. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Insects & Related Pests
No matching line in the Wisconsin pages we checked.

06Insects you can see

Possible causeClemson
Aphids
Clemson Cooperative Extension says aphids are small, soft, pear-shaped insects, pink or green, and they cluster together on new growth on buds, leaves and stems. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Insects & Related Pests
Spider mites
Clemson Cooperative Extension says look for fine webbing on the undersides of leaves. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Insects & Related Pests
Thrips
Clemson Cooperative Extension says thrips are tiny, yellowish-brown insects with fringed, feathery wings on their bodies. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Insects & Related Pests

07Wilting or dying back

Possible causeWisconsin
Powdery mildew
University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension says on some shrubs, including rose, this disease can cause heavy leaf loss and dieback at the branch tips. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Powdery Mildew – Trees and Shrubs

08Stems and canes

Possible causeClemsonWisconsin
Rust No matching line in the Clemson pages we checked.
University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension says affected canes can become curled and misshapen. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Rust
Rose rosette
Clemson Cooperative Extension says on infected branches, the stems become thicker and more succulent than normal, unlike the rest of the plant. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Diseases
No matching line in the Wisconsin pages we checked.
Crown gall
Clemson Cooperative Extension says rounded, swollen galls form on stems or roots, usually right at or just below the soil line. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Diseases
No matching line in the Wisconsin pages we checked.
Stem canker and dieback
Clemson Cooperative Extension says canes develop dead or discolored patches ranging from light tan to dark purplish-brown. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Diseases
No matching line in the Wisconsin pages we checked.
Rose scale
Clemson Cooperative Extension says heavy rose scale infestations can cause canes to decline or twigs to die back. Source page, read 2026-09-27: Rose Insects & Related Pests
No matching line in the Wisconsin pages we checked.

What to do about it. This site only covers how to recognize a problem. For what to do next, open the Extension page linked in the row: their advice is written for their region and is kept up to date by them.

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