As a foliage plant, hostas should have
attractive leaves. Holes, tears, crispy edges, and collapsed
leaf stems are not desirable! If you have damage on a hosta
and wonder what has caused it, the pictures below
may help you to identify the problem. Once you have an identification,
we invite you to search the internet for solutions that might
be better suited to your gardening parameters. The American
Hosta Society website at pests and diseases has
a large section devoted to hosta pests and diseases which
includes more detailed information.
Below are photos and descriptions of some of the more common
diseases and pests which affect hosta plants.
Deer Damage
Vole Damage - Roots are eaten away causing the plant to get
smaller or die.
Slugs leave little holes on hosta leaves. They especially
love white-centered leaves!
Foliar Nematodes eat tissue between veins on hosta leaves.
Damage usually appears in late summer or fall. This is a
serious problem and requires special response.
Hosta
Virus X is appearing in many hostas purchased at large multipurpose
stores in the United States. Virus X manifests itself
as a mottled, blotchy coloring pattern on hosta leaves. There
is no treatment, but there are things that you can do to
protect your other plants from the virus. Below are three
websites with excellent information about diagnosis and response
to Hosta Virus X:
www.americanhostasociety.org/HostaVirusX.html
www.hostalibrary.org/firstlook/HVX.htm
www.northerngardening.com/HVX.htm
Hail freezes the tissue or rips and tears the leaves.
Sun scald causes bleached-out areas on the leaves
Healthy hosta entering dormancy. Stress from drought can
cause early dormancy in hostas.
Petiole Rot caused by Sclerotium rolfsii fungus.
Anthracnose (fungi) has a tell-tale eye. Appears after
periods of wetness and warm temperatures.
