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Amateurs, at times, have difficulty in discerning between basal growths of the rose itself (the scion) and the briar (the stock). This difficulty is most common in roses on dwarf stocks-dwarfs, climbers, and Polyanthas. There, the briar growth, or sucker, can come from the stem of the stock below the budding or from a root. In standards, the stems are much longer and the suckers can come from any part of it-at the head of the plant but proximal to the budding, along the trunk above or under the ground level, or from roots. Suckers from stems are from growth-buds of the stock. Most of these buds will have been removed by the nurseryman before the budding was done, but some small ones are missed. Some stocks more than others are apt to throw suckers. Root suckers usually come from roots that have been damaged or turned upwards in planting.

Suckers must be removed as soon as they are detected. If allowed to remain they will soon impoverish and even outgrow the plant itself. Root suckers must be traced to their origin and cut away with a sharp knife. They will grow more vigorously than ever if only partly removed. Removal of suckers from stems is a simple matter, but the eyes should be gouged out cleanly.

Usually briar growth is characterized by leaves with seven leaflets, but some rose leaves have seven leaflets too. The growth of R. multiflora and R. fortuniana is of a thin-stemmed, climbing type with very shiny, pale leaves and narrow leaflets. That from R. canina is a greyish-green. That from R. indica major is more like Hybrid Tea growth but almost constantly has seven leaflets. The most important means of identification is a careful examination of the source of the growth. If it comes from below the budding it is briar.