| No. | Originator/Registrant | Cultivars | State/Country | - - - - - - - - - - - - - About the Originator - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
|
1
| Zilis, Mark | 476 | Illinois | Author of The Hostapedia (2009) and early implementer of tissue culture at his nursery. He was awarded the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award in 2001. |
|
2
| Ruh, Peter | 438 | Ohio | Owner of Sunnybrook Farms, Peter (1921-2016) registered many hostas on behalf of himself and other originators. He was awarded the 1984 Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award and the 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award |
|
3
| Benedict, Dr Ralph (Herb) | 339 | Michigan | A veterinarian and renowned hybridizer, Herb (1913-2004) was awarded the 1984 Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award. The AHS Display Garden in Tipton, MI is named for him and his wife. |
|
4
| Wade, Van | 337 | Ohio | Van (1930-2017) was owner of Wade and Gatton Nursery and winner of the 2002 Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. |
|
5
| Malloy, Alex | 323 | New York | An antiquarian and Hosta Master Judge, Alex (1938-2019) had a personal collection of over 3,000 hostas. |
|
6
| Elslager, Ed | 254 | Michigan | Dr Elslager (1924-2005) had a PhD in Organic Chemistry and was a renowned hosta hybridizer. The Ed Elslager Hybridizer Society is named for him. |
|
7
| Goodwin, Randy | 234 | Indiana | Retired teacher who is active in the Indianapolis Hosta Society. His garden has been included on 3 National Conventions of The American Hosta Society. |
|
8
| Linneman, Jeroen | 223 | Netherlands | Eunice Fisher Distinguished Hybridizer Merit Award winner in 2019, Jeroen is a past president of the Dutch Hosta Society. |
|
9
| Aden, Paul | 222 | New York | Editor of The Hosta Book, Paul (1925-2010) was noted for introducing many new hostas developed by himself or by others from his nursery, Garden of Aden. |
|
10
| Chastain, Mary | 210 | Tennessee | Former owner of Lakeside Nursery and winner of Eunice Fishcer Distinguished Hybridizer Merit Award in 2007. |
|
11
| Walek, Kevin | 210 | Virginia | Former Hosta Registrar and former AHS President. He was awarded the 2005 Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award. Registered many hostas on behalf of others. |
|
12
| Ward, Dr Dick | 208 | Ohio | Dick (1933-2021) was a Medical Doctor and winner of Eunice Fishcer Distinguished Hybridizer Merit Award in 2010. |
|
13
| Ward, Jane | 208 | Ohio | Co-Registrant of many new hostas with her husband, Dick. |
|
14
| Kuenster, Rod | 184 | Iowa | Originator of the "Cosmic" series and registrant of many hostas on behalf of Herb Benedict. |
|
15
| Livingston, Ron | 182 | Michigan | Retired science teacher and co-creater of the Fraternal Order of Seedy Fellows hybridizing group. |
|
16
| Van Eechaute, Danny | 166 | Belgium | Originator of the "Flemish" series and many other new cultivars. Top non-U.S. hosta hybridizer by the numbers. |
|
17
| King, Herb | 152 | Wisconsin | Hybridizer whose garden was on the tour of the 2019 National Convention of The American Hosta Society. |
|
18
| Hadrava, Jerry | 146 | Iowa | Owner of Bloom Hill Nursery, Jerry (1931-2007) created the large "Rosedale" series. |
|
19
| Schwarz, Jim | 146 | Iowa | Former owner of Jim's Hostas and active in the Dubuque Arboretum Society. |
|
20
| Solberg, Robert | 137 | North Carolina | Owner of Green Hill Farm nursery and co-founder of The American Hosta Growers Association. Awarded Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award and Eunice Fishcer Distinguished Hybridizer Merit Award. |
|
21
| Beilstein, Doug | 128 | Ohio | Dentist who is a former AHS President. He was the Eunice Fisher Distinguished Hybridizer Merit Award winner in 2017. |
|
22
| Fransen, Marco | 124 | Netherlands | Owner with his wife, Joyce, of the Fransen Hosta Nursery. Creator of the "Paradise" series of cultivars. |
|
23
| Lydell, Ransom | 122 | New York | Owner of Eagle Bay Gardens and has been on the Board of the American Hosta Growers Association. |
|
24
| Kwick, Charles | 116 | Wisconsin | Retired physical education teacher. |
|
25
| Seaver, Mildred | 116 | Massachusetts | A pioneer in the world of hostas, Mildred (1913-2011) was known as the "Queen of Hostas". She was awarded Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award in 1988 and Eunice Fishcer Distinguished Hybridizer Merit Award in 2006. |
|
26
| Van den Top, Jan | 116 | Netherlands | Owner of Hostaworld Nursery. |
|
27
| Walters Gardens | 116 | Michigan | One of the world's largest producers of herbaceous perennials. Mark Zilis started their tissue culture lab in 1976. Renowned hybridizer Hans Hansen now works for Walters. |
|
28
| Avent, Tony | 112 | North Carolina | Owner of Plant Delights Nursery and a well known plant explorer for his Juniper Level Botanical Gardens. Winner of Eunice Fishcer Distinguished Hybridizer Merit Award in 2015. |
|
29
| Hansen, Hans | 109 | Michigan | Hybridizer of several plant species, he has worked at Shady Oaks Nurser and currently works at Walters Gardens. |
|
30
| The American Hosta Society | 102 | Unknown | The American Hosta Society has periodically registered "significant" cultivars on behalf of others. The AHS has not actually originated any hostas. |
|
31
| Dean, Don | 100 | Minnesota | Retired teacher, past president of The AHS and recipient of the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award in 2008. |