Rose & Clematis - Fungus or Bug?

New Haven, CT

Help! I'm having trouble with my roses and a clematis. Can anyone help me identify what's going on? Here's the rose picture - they are planted in more shade than I'd like, and I want to transfer them...but is this contagious?

Thumbnail by Leuconoe
New Haven, CT

Here's my clematis - the leaves toward the bottom of the plant are healthy, but new ones look all puckered and wrinkled in - and new shoots are turning black. Help!

Thumbnail by Leuconoe
Springfield, OH(Zone 6a)

I'm thinking fungus, but jump over to the Rose Forum where the experts over there can tell you exactly what kind. There are some very experienced growers over there. Now I'm curious! ( I forgot to say please) : )

The rose is being chomped on by something....not sure what ...the leaves may be too soft and an easy target if there is too much shade.The second one looks like it has a little chewing going on plus a scale and/or perhaps the beginning of mealy bug.

Windsor, ON(Zone 6a)

Look on the bottom of the rose leaf. That looks like the damage caused by a pear slug. They are abt 1/4 of an inch long, dark brown, wet-looking, and pear shaped. They will skeletonize a leaf, eating only the bottom layer.
As for the clematis, usually a piercing-sucking insect will cause the leaf to curl like that. Again check the bottom of the leaf, as this is where bugs like to hide. Check at night for earwigs too cuz it looks like Chrissy's right. There is some chewing goin' on.

Springfield, OH(Zone 6a)

That's ok, I've been wrong about a lot of things!! Hey does that pear slug eat any veggies?? cause my cucumber looks like that rose!

Ayrshire Scotland, United Kingdom

Hi Leuconoe, your rose is under attack from leaf miners, these are tiny
little mites that eat away at the leaves and at the same time, can bury into the leaf hence the skelital appearance of the leaves (the dead gray bits on the leaves) and I suspect that the clemetis, is also being eaten by some form of aphids that cause the leaf to curl due to the sap being sucked from it, when the leaves are under attack, it is quite normal for the leaf to curl as a defence, the black on the leaf could also indicate some aphids, as these little bugs, excreat a sticky substance that then atracts other bugs to come feed of this, the problem then is that the excement turns black, sometimes opening up to a new threat of fungus, which might appear as the origional sucking aphids continue to eat and munch the sap.
I cant really tell which miner is on your Rose bushes as you would need to seek them out and discribe them, also dont know what bug is on the clenetis for the same reason, so you would be better, removing ALL the damaged leaves and gather up any that has fallen on the ground, but dont throw them in a bin, if pos, burn them, as you do this, try observe the leaves and look real close to try find any of these bugs on the leaves, either stick them in a closed jar and take them to the garden store, or try find someone to tell you which ones these are as the treatment will differ from bug to bug, I would hope that just removing ALL the leaves would remove the cause, but sometimes they are persistant and need other actions like spraying etc, at this stage, removing the leaves. your plants still have ample season to recover. they will just look a wee bit sad till they make new leaves, Or in the case of the Roses, prune them right back past the problem leaves. hope this helps you some. Good luck. WeeNel.

New Haven, CT

Thanks so much for the feedback, everyone. I will get to work right away!

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