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H. plantaginea
'Aphrodite'

In the registration material, this sport of the species, H. plantaginea was listed as having been originated by W. George Schmid and registered on his behalf by Kevin Walek (Hosta Registrar) in 2009. It is a fast growing, large size plant (24 inches high by 60 inches wide) with green leaves that are shiny on top, ovate to broadly ovate and smooth with deep veins. It bears large pure white, fragrant flowers with a double set of tepals in August. The plant originated in China.

According to The Hosta Handbook by Mark Zilis (2000), "As a foliage plant 'Aphrodite' is no different from H. plantaginea and it can be utilized in the same ways in the landscape. Once in bloom, though, it takes on its distinctive character. The fully double flowers are very fragrant and very large."

In The Hostapedia (2009), Mark Zilis adds, "One of the greatest hostas ever introduced...There is some debate as to how many petals 'Aphrodite' should possess, but the typical number ranges from ten to twenty. As for double-flowered hostas, it should be kept moist during the hottest times of the summer or the flower buds will turn brown and abort."

In Greek mythology, Aphrodite was a goddess of love and beauty.

An article about the cultivar H. 'Yae-no-oba' by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (2001 Vol. 32 No. 2)  states that, "This cultivar is a selection of H. plantaginea 'Aphrodite' growing in Ralph "Herb" Benedict's garden...according to Ron Williams of House of Hosta in Green Bay, Wisconsin, who introduced it, is a "vast improvement over H. plantaginea 'Aphrodite' as it blooms profusely each year"...(Pollock continues) I've also found that these H. plantaginea plants flower better if the weather is hot: in the upper 80s and higher along with high night temperatures...."Yae" means "to have two of something" in Japanese, in other words "double"..."

The Hosta Journal, (2006 Vol. 37 No. 2), contained an article in which several Hostaphiles were asked to give a brief list of their favorite hosta flowers. This plant and a couple of its sports were included in that list.

An article about favorite flowering hostas by W. George Schmid in The Hosta Journal (2006 Vol. 37 No. 2) says, "The best flowers are on H. plantaginea and its multi-petalous cousins, 'Venus' and 'Aphrodite'...H. capitata in bud is fine, but its offspring, 'Nakaimo' has flowers that begin with the shine of precious porcelain and stay closed in bud longer...H. kikutii forms all have fine and late flowers, but the best are on H. kikutii densa (H. densa). They are white and form a tight bunch at the top of the scape. H. laevigata has large, spidery flowers in abundance; its cousin H. yingeri has smaller ones with the same spidery character and dark color. These spidery flowers are carried all around the stem unlike other hosta flowers that, "lean to one side...Finally, mature clumps of 'Blue Angel' and 'Elegans' have a beautiful flower display when many flowers on different scapes open in unison..."







 

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