Multiflora Rose
The provenance of the Multiflora Rose
patch near the top of the Cliff Trail is less mysterious because this
prickly invasive
is found in woodland edges throughout our region. Like many
invasives, Multiflora Rose was introduced on purpose, first as the
rootstock for cultivated roses and then as erosion control, wildlife
habitat, and hedging. A good-sized Multiflora Rose plant can
produce up to a million seeds per year, and songbirds enjoy munching on
the rosehips, spreading the seeds to new locations. As a result,
Multiflora Rose has now infested 45 million acres of land in the
eastern United States and is estimated to cost farmers $48 million
dollars annually to control in West Virginia alone. The
ecological damage does not come with a price tag, but is equally
staggering, with Multiflora Rose forming dense patches that outcompete
native plants.
Enter a
mysterious stranger --- the Rose Rosette Disease. Like Superman,
no one is quite sure what the Rose Rosette Disease is (maybe a virus?)
or where it came from (somewhere west of Virginia?), but its effects
are obvious. Infected Multiflora Roses grow abnormally thickened
and thorny or elongated stems, clusters of small branches called
witches’ brooms, and reddish leaves. Within a year or two, the
infected rose dies, but not before transmitting the disease to its
neighbors.
Ecologists are
thrilled at the effects of this superhero disease, watching dense
stands of Multiflora Rose die as the Rose Rosette Disease spreads east
across the country. Cultivated rose aficionados are less excited
since Rose Rosette Disease can be just as devastating to their
carefully bred rosebushes. The disease does not really seem to
care what we think, either way. It has recently entered Virginia
and will probably soon wipe out the patches of Multiflora Rose on Sugar
Hill. This misplaced plant, like maple sugaring in southwest
Virginia, will soon be a thing of the past.
Want
to be notified when new comments are posted on this page? Click on the
RSS button after you add a comment to subscribe to the comment feed.
