We have searched our copies of The Hosta Journal for anything that might relate to any of the over 15,000 hosta names in our database. We extracted parts of articles that dealt with historical matters, opinions of well-known hostaphiles, recommendations (positive or negative), lookalike cultivars and the seemingly never ending problem with confusing names.

Where appropriate, we placed a copy of the material on the individual cultivar or species page. We also put the information and quotations on a group of topic pages listed below:

  1. Blue Hostas
  2. 'Blue Mouse Ears'
  3. Early Hosta Cultivars
  4. Fall Bloomers
  5. Flowers
  6. Green Hostas
  7. Halcyon Group
  8. Hosta History
  9. Hybridizing
  1. Japanese Words
  2. Large Hostas
  3. Look-a-Like Hostas
  4. Hosta Names
  5. Non-US Hostas
  6. Photo Essays
  7. Plant Traits
  8. Hosta Series
  9. Small Hostas
  1. Hosta Species
  2. Top Rated Hostas
  3. Unstable Variegation
  4. White Margin Hostas
  5. White Medial Hostas
  6. Yellow Hostas
  7. Yellow Margin Hostas
  8. Yellow Medial Hostas

1) In an article in The Hosta Journal (2001 Vol. 32 No. 1), Tom Micheletti, former President of The American Hosta Society took on the task of listing the "Classic Hosta Cultivars" through the year 2003. He decided to divide these into categories including: Green, Blue, Yellow (Gold, White-Margined, Yellow-Margined, White Medio-Variegated and Yellow Medio-Variegated

While there are fewer yellow-margined hostas, there are still some timeless beauties.
Classic Yellow-Margined Hostas
  1. H. 'Abiqua Moonbeam' is the green-centered sport of H. 'August Moon' and surely shines in the garden.
  2. H. 'Alvatine Taylor' is a large blue-leaved hosta with gold margins that don't exhibit the characteristic burning of gold-leaved forms of H. sieboldiana.
  3. H. 'Aurora Borealis' is one of the many similar cultivars in this group. H. 'Frances Williams' has been one of the most imitated of the classic hostas, after all she was the first of over a dozen named, similar gold-margined sports from H. sieboldiana 'Elegans' . Each one is reported to be an improvement. Claims include not burning as much on the gold portion of the leaf, improved flowering or showier variegation. In any case, it is difficult to distinguish these cultivars.
  4. H. 'Carnival' is a Lachman hybrid which features dark-green leaves and wide irregular gold margins.
  5. H. 'Don Stevens' has pointed green leaves with creamy-yellow margins.
  1. H. 'Fortunei Aureomarginata' is an oldie that still is not to be outdone with its dark-green leaves and golden margins.
  2. H. 'Golden Tiara' has produced a whole series of sports, as previously noted, one of which is H. 'Grand Tiara' with wider gold margins. H. 'Grand Tiara' also has produced a whole series of sports. The Tiaras all have a fine display of light-purple flowers that may re-bloom if deadheaded.
  3. H. 'Green Gold' is one of the early gold-margined hostas.
  4. H. montana 'Aureomarginata' - as showy as it gets!
  5. H. 'Radiant Edger' is a dense sport of H. 'Gold Edger' has an attractive blend of green with gold.
  6. H. 'Tokudama Flavocircinalis' is the gold-margined sport of H. 'Tokudama' and while not as large as H. 'Frances Williams', doesn't exhibit the typical burning of the gold margins.

This is quite an extensive list of distinctive cultivars. Many have been popular either with gardeners, landscapers and collectors for over 25 years...Their timeless beauty is why they are still kicking after all these years.

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