Virus in bulbs

jennifer.hildebrand@att.net jennifer.hildebrand@att.net
Tue, 04 Mar 2003 12:20:44 PST
Hi all,

I've been very interested (as a lay person) in the discussion of viruses.  I 
had heard before that the beautiful tulips that Rembrandt favored were the 
result of a virus, and I had likewise heard that variegation in Clivias was 
caused by a virus.

My question, then, is how should we treat variegated plants in the garden?  
Should variegated Clivias, Irises, etc. be kept only in pots so as not to risk 
a transfer of the virus?  If the virus spread from a variegated plant to a non-
variegated plant, will the non-variegated plant become ill or die?  It seems 
unlikely that it would simply adopt the variegated pattern and remain in all 
other ways healthy...

Thanks in advance for any tips or further elucidation!
Jennifer
in Riverside, CA, where we are currently enjoying a little spritz of rain


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