P00 Hosta 'Holy Mouse Ears' from The Hosta Helper

Hosta 'Holy Mouse Ears'

This is a tissue culture sport of H. 'Royal Mouse Ears' which was registered by Mark Zilis of Illinois in 2006. This slow growing, small size (6 inches high by 16 inches wide) plant has a leaf center that changes from a gold center to creamy white as the summer progresses. Dense clusters of medium purple flowers appear in July.

According to The Hostapedia by Mark Zilis (2009), "This was found in the same cultures of 'Royal Mouse Ears' that produced the white-margined 'Frosted Mouse Ears'. As a white-centered sport, I had expected it to be a weak grower, but that has not been the case. It manages a good growth rate in containers, even as a young plant."

The Book of Little Hostas (2010) says: "In dappled shade matures slowly into a pretty, flat mound, ideal for the trough or the front of the raised bed."

Warren I. Pollock wrote comments about the many sports of H. 'Blue Mouse Ears' (which he termed BME) in The Hosta Journal (2012 Vol. 43 No. 2). He stated, "Jan van den Top reports 'Pure Heart' and 'Desert Mouse' are the same hosta. Also, 'Holy Mouse Ears' comes up with plain blue-green leaves; after a month or so, a creamy-white center develops somewhat more yellow than others in this variegation group. Recall: 'Holy Mouse Ears' is from 'Royal Mouse Ears'."

"H. 'Royal Mouse Ears' is described as having blue-green foliage with numerous gold and creamy-white streaks throughout the leaf blade. Jan van den Top reports it emerges with plain bluish-green leaves and streaking appears a month or so later. In addition to streaks in the center, also expect distinct creamy margins. Further, don't be surprised if 'Royal Mouse Ears' settles out as a margined-leaved 'Frosted Mouse Ears'. Recall: 'Frosted Mouse Ears' and 'Holy Mouse Ears' originally came from 'Royal Mouse Ears'."

An article by Warren I. Pollack in The Hosta Journal (2020 Vol. 51 No. 1) titled Doppelgänger Hostas: Fancy Name for Look-alike Hostas, included a long list of hostas which various hostaphiles, published articles or other sources have indicated "look" the same. Some of these are, in fact, the same plant with two or more different names. Others are hostas that vary in some minor trait which is not immediately discernable to the casual observer such as seasonal color variations, bloom traits, ploidy, etc. So, as Warren mentions, hostaphiles may differ as to the plants listed but then, their opinions are based on visual observations and interpretations.

H. 'Pure Heart' is included on two look-alike lists in this article. Following an algebra rule I learned in the last century, if A=B and B=C, then A=C so all the hostas on both lists should be look-alikes...right? Also, all the hostas on both lists are medially (center) variegated except for H. 'Mighty Mouse' which has marginal variegation.