By the Numbers - 40 to 59 Cultivar Introductions by Originator

No.	Originator/Registrant	Cultivars	State/Country	- - - - - - - - - - - - - About the Originator - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1	Klose, Heinz	59	Germany	Heinz Klose (1926-1991) was the owner/operator of Staudengärtnerei Klose in Lohfelden, Germany. He introduced the “German Tardiana” series.
2	Purtymun, Charles	57	Oregon	Dr. Charles (Chuck) Purtymun (1920-2007) was a dentist from Arizona who developed the Walden West Nursery and an interest in hostas after moving to Oregon in the 1970sTwo of the 28 Hosta of the Year winners through 2023 have been from this originator.
3	Bastille, Jocelyne	56	Canada	Jocelyne is the owner of Aux Mille Hostas nursery in Quebec, Canada Most of her cultivar names are in French while others are in English.
4	Johnson, Greg	51	Iowa	Greg Johnson is a member of the Russ O’Harra Hosta Society in Iowa.
5	Wasitis, Chick	51	Maryland	Owner of Bridgewood Gardens in Maryland
6	Banyai, Pauline	50	Michigan	Pauline Banyai (1920-1992) introduced one of the all-time classic variegated hostas, H. ‘Gold Standard’. She lived in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan and sold hostas at the local farmer’s market.
7	Fisher, Eunice V.	50	Wisconsin	Eunice V. Fisher (1894-1984) from Oshkosh, Wisconsin was one of the earliest and most dedicated hostaphiles. She was the first Secretary-Treasurer of The American Hosta Society when it was formed in 1968.
8	Jentsch, Klaus	50	Germany	Owner of Staudengärtnerei Jentsch nursery in Dresden, Germany.
9	Carlson, Julie	49	Minnesota	Monty and Julie Carlson own Northernair Hostas in Minnesota and are members of the Fraternal Order of Seedy Fellows hosta hybridizing group. They introduced the "Northernair" series.
10	Carlson, Monty	49	Minnesota	Monty and Julie Carlson own Northernair Hostas in Minnesota and are members of the Fraternal Order of Seedy Fellows hosta hybridizing group. They introduced the "Northernair" series.
11	Philips, Hugo	49	Belgium	Hugo Philips is a hosta hybridizer from Belgium. He is also the creater and webmaster of the MyHostas.be website.
12	Sugita, Hajime	49	Japan	Hajime Sugita is a retired music teacher in Japan. His avocation is that of plant explorer especially searching out species hostas in his native islands. He and Peter Ruh originated a series of hostas named for U.S. Presidents.
13	Zolock, Sarah	49	Pennsylvania	Steve and Sarah Zolock are retired teachers whose garden is an American Hemerocallis Society display garden and has received the Silver Seal Award from the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania.
14	Zolock, Steve	49	Pennsylvania	Steve and Sarah Zolock are retired teachers whose garden is an American Hemerocallis Society display garden and has received the Silver Seal Award from the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania.
15	Heemskerk, Gerardus	48	Netherlands	Gerard Heemskerk is owner of Heemskerk Vaste Planten in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
16	O'Harra, Russ	46	Iowa	Russ O’Harra (1924-1997) was a graduate in horticulture and landscape design from Kansas State University and was a gardening editor for Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Three of his hosta introductions have been included in The American Hosta Society Popularity Polls out of only 151 plants that have appeared at least once in the polls.
17	Zumbar, Wm	46	Ohio	William Zumbar (1935-2011) was a hybridizer of small size hostas who lived in Alliance, Ohio.
18	Skaggs, Brian	45	Indiana	Brian (1948-2011) and Virginia Skaggs of Indiana are, perhaps, best known for introducing the classic cultivar H. ‘Empress Wu’ which was noted as the largest hosta available at the time of its introduction. They were early members of the Fraternal Order of Seedy Fellows hosta hybridizing group. The "Xanadu" series is from their breeding program.
19	Skaggs, Virginia	45	Indiana	Brian (1948-2011) and Virginia Skaggs of Indiana are, perhaps, best known for introducing the classic cultivar H. ‘Empress Wu’ which was noted as the largest hosta available at the time of its introduction. They were early members of the Fraternal Order of Seedy Fellows hosta hybridizing group. The "Xanadu" series is from their breeding program.
20	Watanabe, Kenji	45	Japan	Kenji Watanabe operates the Gotemba Nursery in Gotemba City, Japan. One of the 28 Hosta of the Year winners through 2023 has been from this originator.
21	British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society	44	England	This society was formed in 1981 to foster interest in the cultivation of hostas and daylilies (Hemerocallis). It has registered a number of hostas on behalf of British hybridizers deceased or alive but has not originated any hostas itself.
22	Owens, Clarence	42	Michigan	Clarence Owens (1925-2022) was a retired high school biology teacher from Jackson, Michigan. He was manager of the Ralph (Herb) and Dorothy Benedict Hosta Hillside at Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, Michigafrom its inception.
23	Lysne, Rod	41	Wisconsin	Rod Lysne is the owner of Northern Grown Perennials in Wisconsin.
24	Nyikos, Frank	41	Indiana	Frank Nyikos has been owner of Walnut Grove Nursery in Indiana since 1990.
25	Van Keer, Ronny	41	Belgium	All of his cultivars begin with "Holar" which is an ancient name for a city in the Flemish part of Belgium.
26	Janssen, Bill	40	Washington	William “Bill” Janssen (1942-2007) was the co-owner with Diana Reecks of Collector’s Nursery in Battle Ground, Washington. Introducer of the "Collector's" series of hostas.