New hosta lover - please tell me this isn't HVX

12 years ago

Hello all,

I posted here a couple of times last year, but I am really only starting to "get into" hostas. We have a small (by your standards) hosta garden and are starting to accumulate a few different varieties. I'll post another thread later to ask for help identifying a few of the ones I've had for longer.

In the meantime, I have become aware of HVX and am concerned that this hosta may have it. I do not know what this hosta is, it is one that I have had for many years. I have two clumps of it. Both clumps have leaves like I show below.

Is it infected? And if so, what do I do now?

Thanks so much for your help! (oh and if you know the name of this hosta, I'd like to know that too!) Sorry the plant looks so goofy - the wind was blowing quite hard!

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Comments (13)

hostaLes
12 years ago
Welcome Prarie Love. I am also learing about the visual appearance of HVX and to me solid green leaves cause me a problem. So I am not going to guess and cause you undue stress. I see the discoloration, which could be the result of sun scorch, but not the collapse of tissue usually associated with HVX. Your hosta sure is a good example for people who are vein pair counters though, with 8 veins on top and seven on the bottom of the picture.

Les
Steve Massachusetts
12 years ago
I think it's Royal Standard and I think that's sun scorch. Where did you get the hosta?

BTW, Les, I count 9 vein pairs. :) You can barely see that one on the edge of the base.

Steve
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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.
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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
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You're right...I am over worrying and it is likely due to the fact I encountered it way to early as a hosta fan! Ken, I appreciate your reassurance and trying to calm me down and have me stop worrying so much (you are right..it was me that found it in a garden). I also appreciate that you have also been one to respond to all of my posts...whether its in this forum or another...It tells me you really know your stuff (or you're stalking me...) Please bear with me...and try to remember I have never grown or have no knowledge of hostas (or gardening) until this year really. Last year at this time I thought there were a total of maybe 12 cultivars of hosta....which I think I called, varieties or species.... Learning all the parts (eyes, crowns etc...) and all the terminology is tough when you have no idea what it all means and are just starting out. Then throw on top all the cultivars (another new word I learned) and their soil and shade preference...and on top of that all the different MINOR changes that I have not ever witnessed. I've never seen a hosta eyes until this year which is likely why I had the one growing beside my shed having dug it up not realizing what it was. Also frost burn, sun burn, growth of a leaf that had been stepped on as an eye, rabbit munching, and now this colouring changing thing... Then on top of all that is learning how to photograph hostas, post to this board properly, and catalogue! I know many of you are seasoned hosta growers and probably forget your first year of gardening, and you've all been so amazing with helping me out. I truly love learning about all the hostas and look forward when I can post to the cultivar threads I've seen with my own hostas. I will relax on the HVX subject and hopefully I can post some progress photos here once my divisions fill out a bit. I'm very, very happy with the work I have done so far and have so many of you to thank for that.
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Visited two very reputable local nurseries this week and both had what I consider to be virused plants. The first one had a set of unmarked Blue Cadet plants that looked virused to me. After speaking to 3 other workers I finally spoke to the owner. She said they didn't know what they were. But agreed to take them off the shelf. I asked if they indexed their plants and she said they they get them from Walters and depend on Walters to do that. These plants had been growing in their fields after the plugs were received from Walters. This nursery has been in business for over 90 years and supplies most of the local contractors. Today I visited a high priced local nursery that has been voted the "Best of Worcester County" several years in a row. They had two clearly virused Gold Standards, a questionable Patriot and a bad looking Kiwi Full Monte. Several plants were also obviously mislabeled. I pulled the GS off the shelf and brought them to a worker pointing out the bleeding in the veins. I asked where they got their plants from but she didn't know. But she agreed with the obvious signs of virus and pulled them off to the side not to be sold. I will go back to these places and check to see if they still have these plants for sale. If they do I'm calling the State Department of Agriculture to report them. There is no excuse for knowingly selling diseased plants. Steve
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Gesila
12 years ago
Don't know about HVX, but is that lighter color a lack of some sort of nutrient, plant is growing fast and needs some fertilization? My Komodo Dragon did that last year when it was growing fast.

Gesila
prairie_love
Original Author
12 years ago
Royal Standard - could easily be - is it fairly easily available?

Steve, I don't remember where I got the hosta! It's been years. Either I bought it from the local nursery (which I believe to be a reliable source) or it was given to me by a friend (which would mean it could have come from anywhere).

Comforting that you all think sun scorch, although I'm surprised. I thought this was a rather shady location. Is this variety more susceptible than others? I certainly have other hostas that get more sun than these.

Vein pairs - I know they can be used for ID, but I won't be worrying about that for some time. Need to learn growing and maintainence first!

Fertilization - they were treated with MirAcid earlier this spring (we have somewhat alkaline soil) but have not had any other treatment.

Thank you for the rapid responses. Now I will hope that no one else chimes in to say it looks like HVX!

I will be posting some pics for ID soon, thank you.

Ann
thisismelissa
12 years ago
Royal Standard is probably THE most readily available solid green.

Pic #2 looks like it's still got some greening up to do.
Pic #3 is sun scorch. You could have some light filtering thru in that one spot OR it might have been hot and that spot wasn't quite hardened off to the temps.

BTW: Welcome!
TheHostaCottage
12 years ago
It actually reminds me of Fortunei Alpopicta which is viridescent (which means changes colours and it turns all green...mine changes by the end of spring). Did it come up yellow with a green edge in the spring?
ademink
12 years ago
no HVX there.

i agree it looks like Fortunei Albopicta
tomahawkclaim
12 years ago
If it's Royal Standard, it will have very fragrant white blossoms in late summer. Albopicta isn't fragrant. Nance
prairie_love
Original Author
12 years ago
I *think* it has fragrant white flowers. Prior to this year I have not kept close track of which hosta does what, but I am pretty sure this one has this nice blossom. I'll pay attention when it flowers.

Thank you all, I am much relieved.
ademink
12 years ago
leaf one has a shadow of variegation on it...i have never seen that on royal standard.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
12 years ago
I don't know, ademink, maybe- but chlorosis might give a hint of variegation when none exists.

prairie_love- if you have not done so already, get to know your county extension service (link below). In addition to giving an ID of various maladies you could also likely get a soil test done there and take the guesswork out of any nutritional imbalance.

tj

Here is a link that might be useful: NDSU 4U
prairie_love
Original Author
12 years ago
I will post this on my next thread as well (about IDs), but I am no longer certain that the two plants are the same. I think plant 1 (not pictured in this thread, but belonging to leaf 2) is Fortunei hyacinthina. Does that seem to fit? Plant 2 (pictured, and leaf 1) I do not know.

tj - you know, I do utilize our extension service horticulturist for trees and for some illnesses, I don't know why it didn't occur to me to contact him regarding the hosta. I guess because I knew you all are so knowledgeable :) And I have never asked about a soil test, good idea. Thank you for the suggestion.
ademink
12 years ago
I see the chlorosis...but that's not what I'm talking about.

I see actual variegation like F.A. on leaf one...look on the outside-ish edges of leaf one... (not on leaf two). Also present on the whole hosta photo on top.

Plant one and leaf one above match up...not leaf 2. I think you are right...perhaps two is hyacinthia. I still think 1 is Fort. Albo. lol

New hosta lover - please tell me this isn't HVX

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New hosta lover - please tell me this isn't HVX

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