Hosta Virus X: the disease and containing its spread

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By Phil Reilly,

Reilly’s Country Gardens Nursery,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
December 30, 2006
The following article, in an edited form, was published in the Ottawa Horticultural Society's Newsletter, OHS News, in January 2007.

Introduction

The September 2006 issue of OHS News (The Ottawa Horticultural Society's Newsletter) presented an important article (Hosta Growers Beware) alerting OHS members to the existence of a poorly known hosta virus inoccuously called Hosta Virus X (HVX).

OHS’s concluding recommendation (i.e. “All hosta purchases carry the ‘caveat emptor’ warning. Ask about the source before you buy.”) prompted me, as a nursery operator, to further investigate available info on HVX and what the recommendation might mean to nurseries.

HVX should be considered a major problem in the hosta world. Hostas are one of the most commonly purchased ornamental garden plants as they have a reputation for being relatively pest and problem free, showy, and able to be grown under many light and soil conditions as long as uniform soil moisture is provided. As the word spreads about being cautious about hosta purchases, there is likely to be financial repercussions to those in the nursery industry.

The objective of ridding the world of HVX is correct and, within the nursery and garden center world, steps are being taken to make sure that any hosta growers and vendors not familiar with the disease will soon have the most up-to-date information on its identification and understand how to minimize its spread.

The President of the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) informs me (personal communication Dec. 11/06) that a HVX seminar session is planned for their 2007 Symposium in Columbus, Ohio. An expert panel drawn from the virolgy, plant propagation and nursery spheres will provide the horticultural world (propably about 1000 attendees including many garden writers) with everything needed to know about the significance, mechanisms of spread, and virus containment and control options.