Virus on Darks

[NWhosta4life]

Hey chris, i am sure you have answered this b4 so i am sorry but.... how can you tell if your drk blues and greens have the virus. Can you ever see it or do you always have to send it to the lab?

[Chris_W]

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply.

Some of the dark green hostas are actually showing only sunken/distorted tissue on them with no color change. However, when those also have a margin there is sometimes a dark green bleed into the margin that becomes noticeable.

There is a picture of ventricosa on this thread that will give you a slight idea. I'll see if I can get other pictures and post them. I have a few leaves here that are showing it on dark green ones that someone sent me.

The blues have been showing lighter discoloration. Take a look at the thread for Veronica Lake and there should be pictures of Regal Splendor on the forum too. (Search the HVX forum for Regal Splendor and you should find some pictures).

Other dark green ones may even show a lighter mottling.

The virus definitely varies from cultivar to cultivar. Some think it is because there are different strains but I'm not convinced that this is the reason for the differing symptoms. I've had numerous plants come in from one particular grower showing every possible variation of symptoms on different plants and I think it would be tough for them to have so many different "strains" of the virus to explain the extreme differences in symptoms. Just my gut feeling on that one, but no one really knows although I don't really think it is relevant.

[NWhosta4life]

Thanks for the reply chris. This virus has proved to be quite a frustration and i apreciate the knowledge shared on these forums. I am keeping a eye on the darks as well as the yellows and greens since it is quite obvious no hosta is safe.