Roses are a symbol of love, but the ones growing in your garden may have a sinister side! A deadly virus known as "Rose Rosette Disease" (or RRD) is infecting North Texas rose bushes, causing spindly branches, discolored leaves and excessive thorns. Unfortunately, the disease has no cure and infected plants will not recover. Watch a 6-minute video on how to identify infected roses.The longer infected roses stay in the ground, the more opportunities they have to spread this deadly virus to other plants. With this is mind, the City of Allen has arranged for special plant disposal through Community Waste Disposal (CWD). Residents can schedule a pickup by calling CWD at 972.392.9300 (option 2). Roses will be picked up on your designated bulky item pickup day. Please do not add infected roses to your own compost pile.
To properly dispose of infected roses, cover the bush with a plastic bag before uprooting. Ensure all branches, roots and leaves are removed from the area. If you have multiple rose bushes in close proximity to the infected plant, consider removing all of them. (The plants may be infected, even if they haven't shown symptoms yet.) Tie bags tightly and schedule disposal as soon as possible.
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