Am I mistaking Rose suckers for fresh new growth?

Emcad

Hi, here's my nice red rose bush that's been growing happily for the past 15 years or so!  I always cut back these vigorous red shoots that emerge from the ground thinking that they are suckers, but recently read somewhere that suckers are pale green.  So I guess the question is in the title of the post.

Dovefromabove

Leave them ... they're not suckers ... while they're young and fairly supple train them gently towards the horizontal and you'll have a fence covered with a beautiful climbing rose 

Emcad

Ouch, what a thug I've been!  Must have cut them back at least ten times.  Thank you so much, will definitely do what you suggest

Dovefromabove

Good luck with it 

RubyRoss

I've also been removing the red growth on the assumption that if it's coming from the base (and also red with seven leaves, it must be from root stock not the variety I bought. 

Dovefromabove

The thing about if it has seven leaves it's a sucker is not true ... many varieties of roses have seven or more leaves ... especially if they have roses like ramblers or other types in their ancestry as many of the modern shrub roses do (David Austin etc).

Roses often show red colouring in the young foliage and stems, and roses with deep red flowers often have quite deep red in the foliage. 

RubyRoss

Thanks Dove, my rose is a David Austin climber (Penny Lane) so that makes sense. Good thing I read this thread before cutting down the latest growth! 

Fran IOM

So glad I read this thread! I have been cutting off the new growth as well on my climbing rose thinking it was a sucker so will leave well alone in future. Many thanks posters.

Fire

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RubyRoss

I've high hopes for this rose so I'm double checking that this tall new growth should be left in place near the trellis. I've already cut back five similar stems. 

Marlorena

They're not suckers... you need to keep those canes...