Not dead. Wait until Spring and prune off the dead parts. In Alaska, things weren't declared dead until end of June. I'm sure yours will regrow much earlier.

Agree with Sheila. We generally have single digit temps around here for a period of time and Ive only lost a few: even those had other thing going against them such as exposed graft and severe herbicide damage going into Winter. Austins have proven quite hardy around here even to sub-zero temps in Munstead Wood, Molineux, Dacey Bussel Tess, Heathcliff, Falstaff and Pretty Jessica so you are probably good. Are these own-root or grafted? Mine are both, but the grafts are buriedby at least two inched.

I have a few that look nearly that bad, but most of mine are more mature. I never declare a rose "dead" until after pruning, plus a month. On yours I think I see green cane at the base of all the roses. When you prune, begin with what is obviously dead, moving down the cane incrementally until you reach live material; then if there are buds present, prune to an out-facing bud. If you have to go nearly to soil level, there won't be obvious buds, but in that case, you'll probably get growth of new canes.

Thanks for the input!

Wedgewood Rose is grafted on multiflora.

Heritage, Tamora and Abraham Darby are own root.

I have Falstaff, Munstead Wood, and Teasing Georgia on Dr Huey.

I feel your pain, we had two straight days and nights where temps never got above 0 earlier this winter. I've been eyeing some of the darker brown canes wondering the same, and a few of my roses have canes that are completely black black all the way to the base, and I wonder if the roots are alive or not. But I agree with the above advice, we won't know for sure until the roses have a chance to grow back in spring.

Sorry for the confusion.

I’m pretty sure these roses aren’t dead.

I meant are these canes dead?

If so, it’s significant dieback; much more than I’ve seen before.

You'll know in spring. Don't be in a big hurry to prune.

I'm not seeing anything that is definitely dead. A cane being a color other than green doesn't mean anything. Most of my roses have canes that turn brown, red-brown, or red in the cold. Unless you are growing rugosas, gray is bad. Shriveled is bad. Anything else you have to wait on.

The tops could be dead. You could cut them earlier if you can't stand it.

Ill wait it out.

i just didnt want to leave them alone if it was better to try and prune the dead parts now.

Every winter some canes die. Some don't. I think the rose intentionally kills some of them and replaces them with new ones. There's nothing you can do other than plant roses that are at least one zone cold hardier than your zone. Just wait and see what's dead after there are leaves on some of the canes.

I live in ND. Every year we get -20 F for days. This year we had -40 wind chills to go with that. When I plant roses, I plant the area where the canes meet roots or graft whatever the case may be, at least 4 inches below the dirt. I do no other protection for winter other than the regular large pine chips I keep on them year round. All of my Austin roses over the years have survived except an Evelyn that I think got too dried out over a very unusual warm spell. My canes DIE TO THE GROUND EVERY YEAR. Every year they grow back and bloom like crazy. I am zone 4 and have planted zone 6 roses right up next to the house this way and they lived and bloomed for 18 years until I ripped them out.

I just thought I would share this for those who live in cold zones and don't want to worry over their roses. Bury the roots a little bit deeper. Just my opinion. It may not work for people who get rose canker and other nasty things. We don't get them here.

I need to also mention that we usually have snow cover during the winter, but we have had "brown" winters without any snow. The results were the same.

Rebecca

Mine look like that or worse every spring. :( It's amazing how they revive and how they grow back!

Black canes...dead, for sure!

Brown canes...too early to call.

Wait things out....when the forsytforsythia and big flowered daffodils are well under way in

blooming the truth will come out then. No pruning until then, no matter how tempted youyou may be. Believe us, youryourtrustwortyouryourtrustworthy rose friendssonfriends.

MosesyourMos