Hi!

I purchased Hosta Rainforest Surprise from Costco last year and now can't find any information about it online. Is anyone familiar with it? It came from Hampshire Farms but they don't even have it listed on their site.

I took a picture of the tag and it definitely says Rainforest Surprise and not Rainforest Sunrise. Unfortunately, I can't find the picture I took of the back of the tag with all the details. It does look like Rainforest Sunrise, though, doesn't it?

Perhaps it is Rainforest Sunrise and the misprinted labels are the reason they were at Costco. I've never had this happen with Costco plants before.

If anyone could shed some light on this predicament, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

I do believe it is 'Rainforest Sunrise' It is a beautiful hosta and likes a little sun for the gold color. Mine did good till it got hot so I had to move it to the shade and it is not as beautiful. Up north it should be good.


Hosta 'Rainforest Sunrise'

Definitely 'Rainforest Sunrise'. But having bought it at Costco, watch it carefully for signs of HVX.

I agree on both accounts --

Do you all think it looks suspect for HVX in the picture? I know it's has some puckering, but it looks like that's pretty normal for Rainforest Surprise based on the other pictures in the database.

I have a new Sum of All that I planted last fall that may look suspect and now I'm paranoid! Ironically, I bought Sum of All at my favorite local nursery and not a big box store!

It's 'Rainforest Sunrise'.

Looks good to me, others will be along, but you might want to post your pic of 'Sum of All' and let our experts take a look.

Take some more pics of the leaves and post them... if you see bleeding in the leaves it is suspect -- otherwise if no bleeding it should be good.

"therwise if no bleeding it should be good."

Not necessarily. Often, the texture of the leaf is a better indicator.

I'll try to take more pictures when the rain lets up. The weather this spring and summer has been so crazy!

@ViolaAnn, your hosta gallery on smugmug is amazing! I noticed you had a couple plants with HVX. Did you have to move any hosta that were sited near the affected ones and have you tried planting another hosta in the same spot after a certain time? I posted on another thread about my Sum of All being most likely affected and I am so disappointed. I'm about three years in to really making over the bed Sum of All is in, adding more hosta and ferns, etc each year with Sum of All being a key feature, and now it feels as if it were all for naught.

Hi Joann,

Since the last update to the galleries (last August), I've had another plant test positive (or maybe I did make a quick update about it). Anyway, 'Ani Machi' tested positive this year. I bought it in 2006 and now think it was infected when I bought it, as many were then. It took this many years for me to get suspicious, and even then I was surprised when I got a positive result. I dug it out, destroyed it and planted an astilbe in the spot. Since I hadn't had anything at all that I was suspicious of since 2007, I'm now worried what I might have infected from it even though I'm generally pretty careful.

My other experiences with HVX were in 2006 and 2007. My first one was the 'Gypsy Rose' and I didn't plant anything there immediately but there ARE hostas there now. Perhaps I should use a test strip on them though they show no signs of infection. One plant just got sickly and I sent part of it back to the supplier who tested it and told me it was positive. It had been mostly in pots or my veggie garden. The only other plant was 'Mountain Snow' and again, when I got rid of it, I plant an astilbe there.

I would suggest that you order maybe 10 test strips next spring - April is a good time as it is still pretty cool for the shipping. And plant another perennial in the spot where the hosta was. And of course, clean your tools. I use Clorox wipes.

good luck.
Ann

PS Thanks for the compliment on the SmugMug galleries.