What are these?

[Herb]

We live in Victoria, B.C., and have just noticed these strange-looking growths on some leaves and round a flower bud at the end of a branch on our Pink Simplicity Rose. They look, in a way, like very tiny witches' brooms.

Are they caused by some insect parasite, or what? Should we cut the branch off?

The plant looks healthy otherwise (apart from constantly losing flowers to the wandering deer population). The deer are being allowed to roam everywhere - even sometimes, downtown, and are wreaking havoc with peoples' gardens.

http://www.pbase.com/mtu_fulani/image/114690046

[caliloo]

You might wat to take a look at Rose Rosette Disease. I'm not sure if that is what you have going on there, usually you see entire canes affected with hyper-thorny growth, but it might be an early symptom. I have lost several roses to RRD, it is rampant int his area.



http://www.rosegeeks.com/

[kHT]

I agree with Caliloo, this doesn't look good, sorry. We just learned that there are bees that will strip leaves off roses
if everything around you is dried out and yellow. We watched the bees yesterday as they tore into our roses and so
we sprayed them again after stripping the leaves that were eaten.