So very sorry. At least you are educated enough to recognize the virus. I am a mini(as opposed to MANY:) collector of hosta, only a couple of dozen. I find myself at the big box stores examining their hosta and carrying on an internal struggle. Hands vs brain. You KNOW you're not supposed to buy hostas here! But look how big they are! they could fill up that empty spot immediately. Put the pot down Kabby! This spring I pulled up a whole clump of jagus Christopher crinum and tossed it, virused. I have almost eliminated my entire canna collection, I had more than 40 kinds at one time. Virused. At least my daylilies only get rust in the fall which is a fungus but still unsightly.

Well, all I have experience with is the one I have here in the Twin Cities. They took it back because they had record of this bad batch of Sum of All. They also knew that I shop there a lot and it was a prudent decision to take it back. And ya know, I'd be willing to bet that IF you were to take the infected plant to the service desk, with a printout of what HVX looks like and ask the nursery manager on call to come up to the service desk, you ought to be willing to drop the name of Ag Department and suggest that if they're not willing to take back the plant, perhaps the ag department might want to know about it. Since you asked for an ID, you probably do not have the original tag or receipt, I assume. Those would kinda seal your deal... but hey, it's worth a try! You should probably get into the habit of keeping all tags and receipts. I have a box of tags and a file of receipts.... going back since we bought this house in 2006. Please note, plastic nursery tags become brittle and break in the sun and winters. If you want to label them, choose a more permanent solution. As for "reputable".... I have chosen to do most of my perennial shopping at a nursery that offers a 2-year guarantee on perennials. The widely accepted practice is to leave the hole vacated of hosta for the year. This is what I will be doing. The hole that I have the potted hosta planted in, will have its permanent occupant planted in it this spring. I assumption is that this practice is meant to make sure than none of the remaining roots will indeed sprout a hosta, therefore again giving a host to the virus. But if the roots die, then the virus goes with it? I'm just guessing here. Perhaps Chris can validate my assumption. You do not need to GIVE UP on the notion of replanting a hosta. You just need to accept the potential risk. Replanting the hole may or may not transmit the disease. Think of HIV in humans. Having intercourse doesn't guarantee transmission, but it does put one at risk. Just decide how much you a)NEED a hosta in that spot and b)how in love with that hosta are you (such that if it were to show signs of infection, would you be as heartbroken. Calculated risk. Gambling.... all the same You could always plant a heuchera. I don't know the answer to the fire question.

Often a grower/retailer won't want to disclose their sources and tell you they only buy from "safe" sources. And often they are telling the truth. Quality growers are in a rough spot trying to compete with "Big Box" garden centers selling tons at $3.95. I have never asked to see any form of certification that their plants are HVX free. If HVX threatens the entire industry/hobby it may come to that. I saw a group of very nice looking hostas at an established garden center that were definitely infected, with the collapsed tissue, ink bleeding, etc. I talked to the owner and told him about them. He assured me they were not infected. I asked if they had been tested and he evaded the answer, but told me he only buys from American growers, no european growers, and therefore felt assured his stock was virus free. This I feel is where we as buyers can pressure our sources for better control. I bought a gorgeous Diana Remembered from him, but I potted it and this is my second year with it growing in isolation with the pot in a sleeve buried in the ground. If it shows no signs this summer it will be planted in its "home". I only do this quarantining if there is a question. I know there are people on this forum who disagree with my approach to addressing the problem, but that is the nature of forums-to air out our opinions as well as sharing our experiences with other hobbyists. I am on good terms with the owner of Vilts Greenhouse in Wilmington where I live (he doesn't to any electronic sales). We have had many discussions regarding HVX and he is becomming more and more aware. I have noticed more and more of his tags carry the names of breeders, growers that are known to test and certify their plants. I am not an alarmist, nor do I let it discourage me from enjoying our hobby. But if my gardens got wiped out by HVX I would FEEL THE HURT deeply. When one is in their 70's we look at plants that take 5 years to mature differently than we did when we were 30. I am buying fewer ripe bananas more often rather than buying larger bunches of green bananas. If you keep the dangers of HVX in mind, you will feel more comfortible asking more good questions when you shop.I have bought quite a few hostas from a large field grower in Crest Hill IL, and the management is very aware of HVX. But I see a lot of mislabeled plants. To stay financially competitive he has to hire low paid labor who can barely speak English to do the bulk of the grunt work. So I truly am sensitive to the needs, and problems, of our suppliers. Thanks all for letting me have the soap-box and rant a bit. Les

There are some rules how to remove the infected hostas and not to replant in that area for a while. Any tool you use with these plants needs to be cleaned correctly. Do not compost the plants, put them into the garbage. The Hosta Library, Hosta Virus X, states : Contact of the infected plant's sap with sap of a healthy plant will infect the new plant. This can happen whenever cuts are made and the instruments or hands are not disinfected afterwards. Dividing hostas, removing bloom scapes, removing leaves, stepping on them, even accidentally running the lawnmower over them can and will spread this virus. It survives only in living plant tissue and dies without a host. Plants in pots may be simply disposed of or burned. Plants in the ground should be dug carefully as to get as many roots as possible, and the spot should not be replanted until any remaining roots have died and rotted away. Google for other information. Bernd