How prevalent is HVX now?

I had HVX on 'Sun Power' several years back which had been purchased from a local quality nursery. Fortunately, I only lost that one and 'Paul's Glory.'

Can you see the effects of HVX in the spring on plants at nurseries or in your garden? Or does it come out later in the season. My experience was that it showed later.

Some plants are harder to tell. For example, 'Brother Stefan' has puckering, which is similar to one effect of HVX.

Has the market done a good job of destroying infected plants? Are you seeing HVX out there? I'm assuming the major mail-order hosta nurseries have it under control.

I'm in the mid-Atlantic region.

There's lots of it out there. Stay away from box stores and be otherwise aware. I saw HVX at one good Canadian hosta retailer this year. Labelled as from a large wholesaling outfit which has not responded to efforts to contact them.

There's one (Canadian) mass producer, Garden Pride, that consistently puts out virused hostas and garden centres buy them. I have taken 6 plants up to the garden centre staff so far this year and explained the issue. Goodness knows if they just put them back on the shelf after I left I haven't been able to find a contact for the production company to complain--they were the ones I got an infected Atlantis from 2 years ago--they don't have contact info on their website, and they don't reply to social media comments. I've been watching everything else like a hawk since.

3 other nurseries I've visited in my area have never heard of the virus, so obviously aren't testing.

Over the weekend I drove out to a private property who is selling splits of their extensive collection, and there were SO MANY sick plants.

So yeah, it's a problem and people just don't know about it (or care).

I flip over leaves if I'm interested in a plant. It's the easier way I've been able to see the tissue collapse.

The nursery in my question is Willlowbrook Nursery in Ontario. They produce Medallion label plants. They also don't care.

ViolaAnn said:The nursery in my question is Willlowbrook Nursery in Ontario. They produce Medallion label plants. They also don't care.

YES! it's the same company. Garden Pride is their "same quality but lower budget" line. terrible company.

I wonder if it is just Canada. I have not seen anyone come on from the US. I have not heard anyone talking about it anymore.

Have you Canadians heard that there was something they did in the US that Canada did not do?

it's all over the American Hosta Society FB page. lots and lots of photos of infected plants and warnings. they mostly warn against buying at big box stores, like Lowe's & Home Depot, but a few have mentioned spotting bad plants at nurseries. someone on my instagram from Japan had an infected plant as well.

i think it's safer to be hyper-critical and cautious everywhere.

Agreed, Jewel. MANY posts from American on FB about HVX. Bottom line, be aware!

I remember there were a lot of panic on FB and the forums awhile back. There was at least 25% that was just panic. One leaf that was frost bite and some where off and screaming HVX. I have had some bad weather ugly Hosta yrs. If I had panic HVX attitude in the last 40 yrs I would have killed half my hostas needlessly.

I get the careful thought but from observation I saw enough panic that I throw a little skepticism in the mix.

People are not testing they jump on line and say do I have HVX we know pictures are deceiving and they do not say we had a late frost all it takes is another to say it looks like HVX. No test but they are all over the net screaming I had HVX No test just a visual and destroy.

Lowes carries Plant Delights, Monrovia and Proven Winners, all brands that 'local' nurseries sell (not big box stores), they literally deliver them off the same truck to a mom and pop nursery and a Lowes on the same day, I have seen it. So Lowes and other big box stores are no more likely to carry a diseased plant than any other place selling plants. Buying from a private owned nursery does not prevent it.

Wow, I just researched some stuff about HVX. I started a hosta garden this year, and bought hostas from a local nursery, Lowe's, Rural King, and Walmart. I'm now worried for all my hostas. I have one from Lowe's labeled as a blue angel, that has turned almost black, and not grown at all. Could this be HVX? I'm now going to have to look at every single hosta on my property tomorrow. I have so many favorites I'm worried for

http://www.americanhostasociet...

Crazed... In too much sun most of the blues lose the wax coating and therefore the blue coloring. Blue Angel is an older cultivar which always seems to be readily available. Black coloration is strange sounding. Perhaps you could post a picture?

Crazed enjoy your plants and don't ruin your hosta growing experience worrying. Just remember the only thing that is certain is a HVX test Visual one bad leaf could be anything. It can be weather damage, shipping injury etc.

Remember like all plants the first yr they concentrate on growing roots. Second yr you get a little growth and the third yr they start to put out the most growth. It is usually 5 yrs when you will see a large mature plant.

Blue hosta have a lot of enemies to staying blue. Sun melt the wax blue coloring, Heat will melt the wax too, to much rain I have had the blue come off.