When my new rose flowered it looked like this. What’s wrong and can it be fixed?
MATTHEW SAYS What we have here is a classic case of rose flower ‘proliferation’. Proliferation is when one or more secondary buds form inside a flower that’s already open. The results can be weird and wonderful or weird and ugly, depending on your point of view, and the exact nature of the proliferation. The reasons why it happens aren’t known, but it affects a range of plants including those in the rose and aster families. In some cases the mutation is stable enough to create a new variety, such as the perennial daisy Bellis perennis ‘Prolifera’. The good news is that aside from creating a rather bizarre looking bloom it isn’t damaging the plant. If it happens again, simply cut off the affected flower, pruning back to the next bud as you would when deadheading, this diverts energy to healthy buds. Or you could leave it on as a talking point!