It sure looks like HVX. Classic ink bleed look. If it were mine I would kill it with glyphosate (Roundup) and wait at least until the Fall to plant any hosta near it.

Whatever you do don't dig it up.

Sorry, but it should go.

Jon

Before you do that, ask Chris at Hallson's. Color changes in that white area might mean something else is going on. Are there more leaves that look like that?

-Babka

Here is a link that might be useful: Hallson Gardens

it would be nice to know what hosta it is.. and if it is supposed to green up in the center ...

isnt striptease susceptible to such.;.. or known for such????

ken

Yes, there are more leaves that look just like that. This plant JUST came from a very reputable hybridizer, so I am hesitant to say HVX right out of the gate. I know that the white area on some hostas is a little more sensitive to color change, like the misting that we talked about earlier in the season on Blue Ivory, so I want to be sure. I need to get some test strips. I may email the pic to Chris.

It's Lemon Juice, so it is from the Striptease line.

I can't find any info on h. 'Lemon Juice'.

-Babka

I would test it with a HVX strip, then you know for certain. When you are certain, then you could tape the leaves/petioles together, dig it up together with its soil using your HVX assigned shovel and place it into garbage. I then line the hole and put fresh garden soil into it to be ready for another hosta. Remember the old soil had HVX, not its GPS location.

"Remember the old soil had HVX, not its GPS location."

LOL, I love that, Bernd!

Don't have any strips, and I really don't want to buy them, at that price! Grrrr...

Babka, try again, it comes right up when you type it in Google.

Chris from Hallson's just said it looked just like HVX to him. Uggggghhhh......

Silly me...I was looking at the Hosta Library and in the registrations. Google said it was introduced by someone I hadn't heard of...I should have scrolled farther down the page to the Plant Delights description. Thanks for setting me straight. ð¸

My Striptease starts out all green as it unfurls. I wonder if the leaf you pictured is in the process of changing from green to yellow in a good way or a bad way. It looks kind of icky.

You can buy just 5 HVX strips, I'm told if you change the quantity in the box. As Bernd says, it is the only way to know FOR CERTAIN.

-Babka

Since this is a brand new plant, I am betting to save face, the seller will provide their own HVX strip to test this one. Just a gut reaction, but I would, if it were me. We'll see what they say...

It may or may not be HVX, but there is little doubt that this is a virus. I'd bring it back to where you got it from.

Steve

Any small portion of the root left in the soi will be infected and could live for years. This is not an opinion, it is a fact verified by university studies. If you dig it up then the virus can contaminate any shovel or tool you use at it must be sanitized with bleach or with antibacterial dawn dishwashing liquid.
If it is in a pot, simply bring it back. You can verify Chris', Steve's and my suspicion by looking at the Hosta Library which has examples of HVX. If it is not HVX then you have a virus that can be transmitted by nematodes or thrips and is a greater danger to your other hosta as it can spread from plant o plant. HVX must be transmitted by cutting the leaf, or root of one hosta and another to transmit it.

As I said and Chris agrees it looks like HVX. Steve agrees it is a virus. This is why I recommended using glyphosate to kill all the tissue and in this way eliminate the HVX virus. HVX cannot live without live tissue as verified by extensive testing. If you dig it up be aware that the virus will remain for 2 years or more in any small portion of root you may miss.

It is, of course, your plant and your decision. I would paint the leaves with Glyphosate as I feel it is HVX.

Jon

If she can take it back and show it to whom she bought it from, I'd do that, Jon.

Like Steve said, even if it's not HVX (and I agree with you, Jon, and Chris, I think it is) there is some virus, some evil **** in this plant. Whatever it is, I'd take it back to XXX vendor and show them, for sure I would. Providing the extra trip is feasible.

Best of luck, Funn, please let us know how all that goes.

Don B.

Agree, the only 'good' thing about HVX is that it is only infectious by cutting or scraping both the originally infected plant and the potentially infected plant or by using contaminated tools; other viruses are more dangerous to collections as they can be spread with nematodes, thrips and maybe other insects.

If is in a pot, take it back. If it is in the ground, kill it to the roots, but first spray with Neem (or other insecticide) to kill the possible transport bug to other plants if you suspect it may be another virus.

If you test for HVX you may find it is HVX, or you may not; if the test is negative now you know it is some other virus which is more communicable. You could pay for more extensive/expensive testing, but why? I am not a fan of testing for this reason. Treat it for the worst condition. In this case why test? No HVX, okay, but you still cannot save the plant and you must get rid of it or risk infecting many more plants. Everyone agrees it has a virus.

Jon

I'm not questioning the virus diagnosis, I just didn't want to assume and there have been plenty of yes's for the diagnosis, so I think it is established that it is a virus. As for removal, I would consider all of these options, if it weren't for the fact that this plant has JUST been planted in the ground for 2-3 weeks, maybe. It hasn't even established yet, so getting it out took like 10 seconds (especially since we haven't had much rain in that time and of that, I am now glad). It popped right out of the ground and I dug as much soil out as I could get and tossed that. I stopped when I got to hard earth that was difficult to dig (like I said, it's been very dry). I'm sure there is no root left there. I took up surrounding mulch as well. I think I've been thorough.

The plant is quarantined (of course!) and I am awaiting response from the seller.

This post was edited by funnthsun on Fri, May 30, 14 at 8:27

Reply from seller:

I had our nursery manager take a look at it, and he didnâÂÂt think it was HVX. However, he went and looked at our inventory and found another Lemon Juice with similar characteristics. He is going to have the plant tested, and we will keep you posted with what we discover. For the time being, we think the plant should be fine in your yard.

The plot thickens...

Thanks for the info, Funn. Sigh. OK, maybe not HVX, but a virus? I wish your seller had acnowledged that probability/possibility. Maybe they will yet.

I'm cynical at times; This is kinda what I got from their last sentence..."We have no idea what it is yet, but it's OK being around your other garden plants." Eeesh...

At least they seem to be taking some action with it. That's good. That's very good.

The plot thickens, indeed. Thanks Funn, good luck...Again, please keep us posted.

Don B.

This post was edited by Don_in_Colorado on Fri, May 30, 14 at 16:02

I only start worrying when it looks like HVX, not other viruses, which there are probably around a lot of kinds. HVX seems to be terminal to a hosta at some day in the future. Some of my hostas have gnarly looking first leaves this year, but the following leaves look fine, might be the weather and not necessarily a virus,

So I saw 5 hostas in my yard which had somewhat blotchy bleeding type places on leaves. Oh no I said, and already picked up extra soil and manure at HD to fill in the holes after I would remove them this weekend. Then finally I took leaf samples of 3 of them (I had 3 test strips) and ran the tests just now. None of those had HVX, only the Control line showed meaning that the test was valid.

So I bought another Agdia kit of 5 HVX tests at $40 including shipping, and will run the other two plants through it too in a week. It costs $8 per test, but saved me much more than that, also in effort. I have peace now, until I run the other 2 tests. One of these 2 remaining tests is of a mature h.'Queen of the Seas' which seems to show bleeding on several leaves. That one is worth certainly a lot more than $8.
Bernd

duplicate

This post was edited by berndnyz5 on Sat, May 31, 14 at 8:44