Galanthus Viruses

[Chris Parsons]

Hello all,

I was inspecting my clump of Galanthus ‘Big Eyes’ recently, and noticed a few bulbs in the clump have stripy ovaries. This has coincided with my Galanthus elwesii monostictus becoming virused (thankfully not expensive, it was acquired from a pack of elwesii from a supermarket). All these bulbs were clean until roughly around the time Galanthus plicatus ‘Augustus’ was added to my collection (which I am now thinking I should keep well separated from other Galanthus). The virus doesn’t noticeably curb the bulbs vigour; Galanthus ‘Big Eyes’ is a very vigorous cultivar and I am sure it will live with the virus. I’m just alarmed at how fast it is spreading; I think I will divide my ‘Big Eyes’ (which is a large clump) this year, and discard the virused bulbs.

I was wondering what other people’s advice would be?

[Chris Parsons]

Here are some photos...

[Chris Parsons]

[Maggi Young]

When virus is mentioned for some plants, there is a chorus of  "don't panic , don't over-react - that  form has been known to be virussed for years..."   I'm afraid that is not my  view -  while some  forms  of snowdrops and other plants may well have  been able to survive  with a virus over many years, even decades,  the worrying fact is that if  more delicate plants become infected they may soon die out altogether. For that reason I will  get rid of any infected plants  out of the garden  completely.
We were nearly caught out some years ago with an Iris  which was "supposed" to be okay in spite of  virus and  very soon the whole collection of Iris  were  dropping like flies  - we burned the lot. Broke my heart - but it was better than risking the spread to other collections.  If we suspect that damage to a plant MAY be  due to weather rather than virus it will be quarantined to keep an eye on for awhile - but for the most part, any sick plants are humanely euthanised.

[Chris Parsons]

It has been said that the streaking in the leaves of these plants is not the same as that in the leaves/ovaries of 'Augustus' and I agree. It just seems strange that these signs of virus have appeared since that entered my collection. The elwesii showed no signs of virus two years ago! I'm wondering if I should live without 'Augustus' altogether...

[Alan_b]

I have had quite a bad problem with virus this year.  All the snowdrops in a patch of about 1 square meter were affected, with another area showing a few instances amongst mostly healthy drops.  Fortunately the 'drops in the bad patch were "ordinary".  It is possible that there is some other cause to the virus-like symptoms, mostly I did not see anything until after the cold weather we had in early March.  But I don't want to take the risk so I have disposed of the bulbs with symptoms and quarantined any that were in close proximity.

   

[Chris Parsons]

Ditto Alan.

I too noticed the virus symptoms seemed to increase following the cold spell. Perhaps the stress induced to the plant from the cold spell is making the striping more visible. How soon do people think it is safe to replant in an area after infected bulbs have been removed?

[David Lowndes]

Interesting. I noticed a group of G.plicatus ‘Bill Clark’ (is there an ‘e’?) with yellow patches on the leaves yesterday.  Under the snow now.

[Alan_b]

Interesting. I noticed a group of G.plicatus ‘Bill Clark’ (is there an ‘e’?) with yellow patches on the leaves yesterday.  Under the snow now.

When some of the authors of "Snowdrops, a monograph of cultivated Galanthus" reviewed "A gardeners guide to snowdrops" by Freda Cox they were critical of the number of errors they found.  However the Monograph is not itself completely free from errors and one of these is the misspelling of the name "Bill Clark" which is correctly spelled without an 'e'. 

'Yellow' snowdrops like Bill Clark and also all the Sandersii types tend to have leaves that are paler and more yellow than a 'normal' snowdrop.  What, to my mind, characterises a virus is stripes on the leaves that run along the veins, so along the length of the leaf but often just for areas, not the full length.  However I have no past experience with viruses so there could be other signs that I am missing.

In the cold weather snowdrop leaves went flaccid as their sap was drawn back into the bulb.  I wonder if this stress made virus symptoms more visible once the leaves recovered?  Of course the other possibility is that it caused stress that mimics the symptoms of a virus but if so, why only in certain parts of my garden?     

[Brian Ellis]

However the Monograph is not itself completely free from errors and one of these is the misspelling of the name "Bill Clark" which is correctly spelled without an 'e'. 

Just had to have a quick look at the database after that...phew, all correct.

Re the virus, I always think back to what I was told several years ago, and that is that many snowdrops in the latter part of the season do show symptoms of 'late season virus' and it is a form of stress.  So sensible to put the plants in a 'hospital bed' away from the others to keep an eye on them.  Perhaps a good liquid seaweed feed might alleviate the signs and put your mind to rest?

[Alan_b]

So I might have early onset late season stress???  I'll try to "hospitalise" any new snowdrops I find showing symptoms.   

[Brian Ellis]

Possibly as a result, as you said, of weather conditions.  Always wise to err on the side of caution though isn't it.

[Anthony Hawkins]

If one does decide to quarantine rather than destroy a sick snowdrop, what separation of the hospital bed from the other 'drops would be recommended? I had one badly smitten, and an adjacent one that simply did not come up; so I am thinking of moving the neighbours of those two to a quarantine bed.

[Harald-Alex.]

I found some G. elwesii plants with yellowish striped leaves, after strong frosts this symtomes are clearer to see. I think, this is a virus and selected this plants!

[Brian Ellis]

If one does decide to quarantine rather than destroy a sick snowdrop, what separation of the hospital bed from the other 'drops would be recommended? I had one badly smitten, and an adjacent one that simply did not come up; so I am thinking of moving the neighbours of those two to a quarantine bed.

Common sense says as far away as possible Anthony, but if they are a 'common' cheapish and easily obtained snowdrop I would be inclined to burn them.