I'd give them a couple of days. I'm not an expert by any means but I'm fairly sure they'll recover just fine. Usually when buds are still tightly closed a little bit of cold won't hurt.

They don't look at all dead to me.

Thank you all for the quick replies. It makes me feel so much better as this is Flamenco Rosita and she is covered on this beautiful tiny buds. I would hate to have to start over.

Yes, I agree with everyone above. No damage, no cutting. Diane

@Diane Brakefield

Thank you Diane. How is your spring coming along? We appear to be very early. My normal spring flush is usually around Mother’s Day and I don’t know how long it takes from these tiny buds to turn into flowers but this seems early.

@User

Paul I am really excited to see some of the great varieties you sent me bloom for the first time. Thank you very much for providing such great varieties.

YIKES! Put your pruners on hold! The growth should bounce back in a couple days like nothing hit them. 28°F here is taken in stride...although the duration of the freeze is the main factor. Your roses should bounce back in great form.

Moses

What did you see, other than a little flaccidity, which caused you to wonder about death (or incipient death)?

Don’t worry - the Board will not see this.

Water well, sit back, and don't touch the pruners. I don't even cover my roses (mostly the true teas and chinas) until they predict BELOW 28F, or below freezing for six hours, either/or. Most likely, in a week you won't know they were ever droopy.

Rifis you always make me laugh, thank you!

I got concerned because at some point last year a lot of my buds shriveled after a late freeze (but I can’t remember how low the temps were or how sustained). I also noted a slight darkening with some transparency on some of these droopy areas (but I never have looked at them this closely so It can just be paranoia at this point). My parents will be visiting us next Month. They and I would be thrilled if they could see my roses blooming. It feels like it has been a long winter and anything that threatens my early spring blossoms is disturbing my peace at this point =).

Dianela, I have this happen regularly every Spring here. I have the most damage on the warm roses like Teas and Lady Banks. The Teas and other repeat bloomers always grow past this early freeze without sequelae. Lady Banks however as a once bloomer can have a lost Spring sadly when it's only flower buds freeze.

I'm sure your plants will be beautiful for your relatives.

@Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR

Sheila thank you for your post. I am glad you mentioned the once bloomers. I just started getting some once blooming varieties (Charles de Mills, Tuscany Superb, Allegra and Marianne ). If these varieties have tiny buds and they get zapped do you lose all your blooms for that season? Are they able to produce new ones if they never got to actually bloom?

The OGR European roses wait to leaf out and show buds later and never get zapped, Dianela.

My frost zapping is only the warm climate roses. In California the year round growth would be safe, but not here.