Rose rosette is a more destructive disease than rose mosaic virus. It has also occasionally been found in domestic rose plantings.
Infection is thought to start with rapid elongation of a new shoot.
The rapid shoot growth may continue for several weeks to a length of two to three feet. Following shoot elongation, a witches' broom or clustering of small branches occurs. The stems develop excessive thorniness and produce small, deformed leaves with a reddish-purple pigmentation. Stems and petioles of Rosa multiflora plants may have reddish blotches or streaks. Rose plants infected with the rose rosette virus die rapidly, usually within one to two years.