Originating in
Japan, Mark Zilis (2009), states that the cultivar is "...probably hybrid of
H. venusta x
H. nakaiana".
Peter Ruh of Ohio registered it with
The
American Hosta Society in 2002.
This hosta grows into
a medium size hosta about 11
inches in height and spreads to 32 inches in width. The leaves
are slightly wavy and smooth textured. It bears large numbers of
medium purple flowers in July.
Zilis goes on to say, "George Schenk and
Jack Craig found this plant growing on a tree in a
temple garden in Kyoto, Japan in 1968. Evidently, the temptation
was too great, and a division of it made it to the U.S."
"Plant
was collected in Aichi Prefecture near ancient
temple grounds by J. E. Craig (1970) and named by
George Schenk. A plant seen under this name in
exhibitions looks like
H. nakaiana or a
hybridized form of it, but is probably not H.
'Craigs Temptation' because according to his own
report, Craig did not collect
H. nakaiana; he
bought it in a flower market.
"In 1969 Craig and
his friend Atsuya Hamada, guided by Hirano, made an
extensive study of
H.
hypoleuca growing in the wild in the
southern Kiso range of the Central Alps, near the
village of Horaji, in Aichi Prefecture. He observed
many different forms of this species, which he later
wrote about in detail, but he was not able to
collect any specimens. This species is, according to
Craig, his favorite one and one that is difficult to
collect because it is scarce. Although not
protected, it grows in inaccessible, vertical rock
cliffs and usually out of reach of collectors.
Tempted, he later returned and collected a few wild
plants, sending them to
Roy Davidson. Craig surmises that it was one of
the many types of H. hypoleuca which he sent
to Davidson that was named H. 'Craigs
Temptation' by Schenk."
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