H. 'Blue Angel' is a giant size (36 inches high by 70 inches wide) plant which is usually included in any list of the top
blue hosta cultivars. The blue-green foliage is slightly
corrugated, broadly ovate-oblong shaped and has thick substance.
It often fades to dark green by the end of the season. The near-white,
funnel shape
flowers bloom in dense clusters from late June into July
followed by viable seeds.
It is another of the many hostas
originated by
Florence Shaw of Massachusetts and registered
on her behalf by
Paul Aden of New York (1986). 'Blue Angel' was registered as having originated from a
cross of two unnamed seedlings (H. 'Aden
No. 365' × H. 'Aden
No. 361') . The former species,
H. 'Sieboldiana',
appears to be in its genetic background but the narrow, more pointed leaves also
shows influence by H. montana.
According to
The Hostapedia by Mark Zilis (2009), this cultivar "...has become the premier large
blue-green hosta cultivar. It can be used in a variety of ways
in the landscape, including as a ground cover, in small groups,
or as a specimen plant. Though it is not a great breeding plant,
it has been the source of many outstanding sports."
From the
Field Guide to Hostas by Mark Zilis (2014), "...lack of pod formation limits its usefulness as a
breeding plant...Its first sport, 'Green Angel', came
out of
tissue culture in the mid-1980s and was the first
to demonstrate the possibility that blue-leaved hostas
could sport green-leaved versions."
The New Encyclopedia of Hostas by
Diana
Grenfell (2009) states: "Among the best large, blue-leaved hostas for
gardens in warmer climates. Tolerates quite dry soil
when fully established. If carefully sited, it almost
attains the bluest category. A classic hosta."
This cultivar
has appeared in several of the Popularity Polls by members of
The American Hosta Society. It has also been awarded the Royal Horticultural
Society's Award of Garden Merit in the
UK.
"Plant is not the European H. 'Blue Angel' which is H. 'Elegans'..."
This cultivar was winner of the
Benedict Garden
Performance Medal for 2016.
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 was included in that list.
An article by Warren I. Pollock in
The
Hosta Journal (1996 Vol. 27 No. 2) states that, "H. 'Blue
Angel' is one of the best large blue-leaved hostas. The leaves are more pointed
and less seersuckered than those of H. 'Elegans'
. I happen to think
the leaves are a good blue color; there are other big hostas with bluer
leaves...it is a faster grower than H. 'Elegans'
...an exciting new
sport of 'Blue Angel'. ..H. 'Guardian Angel' is a blue-leaved hosta with an
attractive, wide center variegation....Not surprisingly, 'Green Angel' is the
green sport."
Steve Chamberlain
(well-known hybridizer of the
Academy Series) in
The
Hosta Journal (2002 Vol. 33 No. 3) states that, "My
six favorite blues are Hosta 'Deep Blue Sea', 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd',
'Camelot', 'Silvery Slugproof', 'Bill Dress's Blue', and 'Blue
Angel', but most
of them do not grow rapidly."
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..."
Warren I. Pollock in
The
Hosta Journal (2014 Vol. 45 No. 1) states
that, "The American
Hosta Society Cultivar Origination Commission…concluded that
Kevin C. Vaughn
and the late Florence Shaw should be credited for some of Aden’s
registrations…Eight of
Paul Aden ’s
crème de la crème registrations are credited
to Kevin Vaughn as originator and 16 to Florence Shaw…Among them are H. ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ (K. Vaughn – 1982), ‘So Sweet’ (K. Vaughn –1986), ‘Zounds’
(F. Shaw – 1978), ‘Love Pat’ (F. Shaw – 1978), ‘Sum
and Substance’ (F. Shaw –
1980) and ‘Blue
Angel’ (F. Shaw – 1986)."
In an article in
The
Hosta Journal (2003 Vol. 34 No. 3),
hybridizer
Randy Goodwin was
asked to select his top five favorite blue and
yellow hostas. He responded with
the following:
Favorite Blue Hostas |
H. 'Halcyon' |
- The benchmark for blues...Whenever I
see a new blue hosta, I take a leaf and place it next to 'Halcyon'
as my standard. H. 'Winfield Blue' another consistent blue. |
H. 'War Party' |
- Holds its bloom well into late
summer...resembles a plant from the
Tardiana Group except it has a
larger growth habit with a mature clump spreading over 4 feet. |
H. 'Blue Angel' |
- Deservedly popular in Indianapolis
gardens...The size and color make it a classic. |
H. 'Blue Betty Lou' |
- Upright growth, leaves that are
characteristic of
H. 'Sieboldiana' and a powder blue bloom, has been a
favorite since I first saw it. |
H. 'Blue Blush' |
- Finding a smaller hosta with good
blue color plus a decent growth rate is difficult. H. 'Blue Blush'
fills this need. |
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30 |
10.2 |
1990 #14
1991 #11
1992 #11
1993 #16
1994 #15
1995 #12 |
1996 #11
1997 #14
1998 #7
1999 #9
2000 #12
2001 #12 |
2002 #9
2003 #13
2004 #9
2005 #9
2006 #5
2007 #4 |
2008 #5
2009 #5
2010 #21
2011 #10
2012 #5
2013 #7 |
2014 #6
2015 #5
2016 #9
2017 #5
2019 #20
2020 #15 |
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