Decided to send a leaf for the MA. Mary

Have you determined if this is connected to the original crown?

EO--when I planted it last spring, it was all one little plant. Will I have to dig up the whole plant to determine if it is connected? It is in a hard spot to really get a good look at it--but I'll start tomorrow to try to push away some dirt. What will that tell me? Mary

Does not look real good to me. See lower right photo on the link below. This link does not prove that your hosta has HVX, but I would not be surprised. It may also be another type of virus.

Here is a link that might be useful: HVX page

That is not a very large AM and they don't cost much, I would dig it up carefully as to not damage this plant and find out what you are dealing with.

It looks bad to me. Wrap a plastic bag over the whole thing so you won't have to touch it.
I'd discard all of it. Sorry.

Mary if you are going to throw it away I want it and will pay the shipping. I'm serious!

Mary
DO NOT destroy this hosta,you may have a potential great hosta
Raker

I'm with the others that say don't destroy this hosta..I'd get it away from the rest of your other hostas ASAP though. HVX symptoms usually don't have bumps. I would have it tested though. Really looks like a possible virus but what? Can you take a pic of the back of the hosta leaf?

Take a look at the crown as well. Does it look funny (looking for a growth) and do you have any or had any diseased trees around it that you know of.

Ditto on keeping the hosta. It could be sporting & that sport has the potential to become a beautiful plant. Luis

Looking at the leaf closeup I too believe that this plant is infected with Hosta Virus X. I would pitch it. The virus does NOT always show color changes. Here is an example:

Infected Niagara Falls (confirmed HVX)

What you do with it is up to you, but please don't start sharing this plant.

Chris

I have the same thing going on with my Guacamole. Just a few leaves on the plant have that rough, bubbly appearance. It appears to be just one eye, though it's hard to tell for sure. It was the same last year. I ordered the test strips and ran the test on a sample from one of those leaves. I was pretty anal about following the instructions to a T. The test showed negative. Do you still think I should get rid of it? the whole plant? just that eye? Opinions please. Also, any thoughts on what wind might or might not do to eyes. This one is in a location that gets nailed with some very strong prairie winds at times.

I think it looks exactly like the infected MA leaf in the link jbranch sent.
I wouldn't take a chance.
Pam

now there is one

to unpot...

remove soil..

throw on the driveway ..

run it over a few times... let it dry in the sunshine...

add copious amounts of gasoline..

burn ....

wrap in plastic..

then foil ...

and drive 200 miles from your house..

where you will dig a hole and bury it at least 5 feet deep ..

do NOT keep it because it is cool

do not send it to anyone else ...

see above regarding proper care ...

ken

WOW--like I say I wasn't even thinking of HVX when I noticed this strange division on my MA. I had one hvx plant 4 years ago, so I thot I knew what it looked like plus that time the HVX enveloped the whole plant and not just one division. This case just affects one division plus it is very striking looking. Now I know why that one H grower saved his Leopard Frog H or whatever he called it. I truly appreciate everyone's input--all your replies are valuable and enlightening, and now I am in the "pondering stage". My first call was to order the "kit" so I will test for the disease before I make any other moves with it. I asked the phone person about just part of a plant being infected, and she said they are growing some H in the lab in which some divisions are infected and some are non-infected to see what eventually happens to a whole plant. I will keep you informed of my next decision. I keep asking myself how I could ever grow H anymore without all the help I get from this forum. :0) Mary PS this is the back of a leaf.

Well, the verdict is in. My MA tested positive for HVX. I dug up the two Undulatas next to it and bagged and tossed them. Then I dug up the MA and bagged it. I am taking it to Garden Club on Monday to show the members, and then I am taking it back to Linder's for a refund and a lecture on how to test and raise Hosta--like that will do much. I now have to worry about my huge June which was right next to it. And I have another AM that I also bot at Linder's last summer about the same time. (that being the H that I planted the dead squirrel under and now measures 24 x 36 compared to the deceased H that was 12x12.) This is my second case of HVX, and the symptoms were entirely different--no wonder it's so hard to spot. Thanks to all of you for your help--I really appreciate having you all to depend on. Mary

OH Mary-
I am so sorry to hear of your losses!!
I too this year gave up on a 'Striptease' that was almost 4' wide - It clearly had HVX and had passed it on to it's neighbor this year as well. It is a big change not having those huge babies there so close to the house- I do hope no other hosta near there will show signs of HVX in the next few years.
For those of you out there who have found this disease in your beds- when did you feel safe in planting another hosta in the "vast empty hole" left by the dearly departed hosta?
Kudos to you Mary on going back to the major gardening center and letting them know what has happened to their recently purchased plant. They may very well be proactive in informing their suppliers to provide them with certified disease free plants in the future.
Thanks also Mary for the tip on the hosta "fertilizer"...
Julie

Julie~Thank you for your message. I really feel worse for you losing such big gorgeous plants. And your news of it spreading to a neighbor is not good news for my June. I have read that you can plant right away in a HVX spot, but most of the forum members suggest a full year to make sure the left-overs are dead. I am not going to put H in my spot again as it was too crowded anyway. I will post Linder's response next Wed. From others posting about Linder's, I'm not too hopeful that they will change their ways. I'm not buying H from them anymore though--which is going to be a tough withdrawal for me!!! Mary

I really don't want to change this thread,but could you please tell me what "hosta fertilizer"you used Mary?I have never fertilized my hosta before,and am noe interested.If you don't want to say it on this site, maybe you can start a new one?
Thank you,Carol
I am so sorry you lost your hosta to HVZ,THAT IS SO SAD,YOU WORK HARD AT GETTING THINGS JUST SO, AND FEEL LIKE YOU ARE BUYING FROM A SAFE PLACE,NOT A BIG BOX STORE AND WAM!oh darn,please excuse the capital letters, i'm not yelling.
I will be watching for your post next week.
Again, i am sorry