No. | Originator/Registrant | Cultivars | State/Country | - - - - - - - - - - - - - About the Originator - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
1
| Banyai, Bruce | 9 | Delaware | Bruce Banyai (1952-2017) from Delaware was the son of hosta pioneer
Pauline Banyai. He was
very active in both The American Hosta Society and the Delaware Valley Hosta Society. |
2
| Geissler, Julia | 9 | Nebraska | Julia Geissler (1901-1991) was a hosta hybridizer from Omaha, Nebraska who
introduced several cultivars in the early 1970s. |
3
| Harshbarger, Gretchen | 9 | Illinois | Gretchen Harshbarger (1906-1989) had a degree in landscape architecture from Cornell University and practiced in Iowa City, Iowa. She authored the McCall's Garden Book in 1967. The Harshbarger Hosta Society is named in her honor. |
4
| Hirsbrunner, Liselotte | 9 | Switzerland | Lisolette Hirsbrunner has gardened in the states of New York and
Illinois but now resides in Chesieres, Switzerland. She introduced the "Chesieres" series of hostas. |
5
| Kedl, Phyllis | 9 | Minnesota | Phyllis Kedl (1938-2015) was a retired English teacher from Minnesota. |
6
| Lewis, Alan | 9 | England | Alan Lewis was a nursery owner located at Forde Abbey near Chard in Somerset,
England. |
7
| Machen, John | 9 | Virginia | John Machen, Jr is the owner of Mobjack Nurseries in Viriginia. 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. Two of the 28 Hosta of the Year winners through 2023 have been from this originator. |
8
| Maroushek, Lillian | 9 | Minnesota | Lillian (1923-2020) was awarded the
Minnesota Horticultural Society Distinguished Service Award in 1979. She was the owner of Maroushek Gardens, a small nursery specializing in lilies, hostas, clematis, and rock garden plants she ran from her home garden for 27 years. |
9
| Nesmith, Elizabeth | 9 | Massachusetts | Elizabeth Noble Nesmith (? - 1972) was a member of the New England
Hosta Society and owned Fairmount Gardens in Lowell, Massachusetts. |
10
| Orlando, John | 9 | New York | |
11
| Overhiser, Martin | 9 | Michigan | Martin Overhiser is a retired city planner who now runs My Brother’s Fruit
in Michigan. He is a member of the Michigan Hosta Society. He introduced the "Marlu" series. |
12
| Postlewaite, Peter | 9 | Illinois | Peter Postlewaite from Illinois is active in the Midwest Regional Hosta Society and the Northern Illinois Hosta Society. |
13
| Rank, Stefan | 9 | Austria | Stefan Rank owns the hosta speciality nursery, Dämmergrün in Austria. |
14
| Rosenberg, Marlene | 9 | Wisconsin | From Uniquely Hostas Nursery in Wisconsin and introducer of the "Uniquely" series of hostas along with Jonathon Goodrich |
15
| Schembs, Michael | 9 | Kansas | Michael Schembs (1952-2013) was owner of Michael Schembs Hostas
in Kansas City, Kansas. He introduced the "Faux" series of hostas. |
16
| Tanaka, Katsuyoshi | 9 | Japan | |
17
| Thaubald, Ed | 9 | Georgia | Ed Thaubald owns Bentley Gardens in Georgia. He introduced the "Streakin in" series of hostas. |
18
| Vaughn, William | 9 | Illinois | He introduced the "Maui" series of hostas. |
19
| Warmerdam, Piet | 9 | Netherlands | |
20
| Williams, Connie | 9 | Massachusetts | Dr Constance “Connie” Williams (1908-1998) who had a PhD in economics
was the daughter of hosta pioneer, Frances Williams. She was a past president of The New England Hosta Society. |
21
| Williams, Glenn | 9 | Vermont | |
22
| Woods, Doyle | 9 | Iowa | |
23
| Ahlburg, Marlene | 8 | Germany | Marlene Ahlburg is a well known plant hybridizer from Röttgesbüttel, Germany. |
24
| Barta, Jack | 8 | Wisconsin | Jack Barta (1947-2021) was owner of Jack’s Hostas in Cedarburg,
Wisconsin. His garden was on display as part of the 2013 Convention of The American
Hosta Society in Milwaukee. |
25
| Bemis, Royall | 8 | Massachusetts | Royall Wilson Bemis (1911-1993) owned Blackthorne Gardens in Massachussetts. |
26
| Bennerup, Pierre | 8 | Connecticut | Pierre Bennerup is co-owner of Sunny Border Nurseries in Connecticut. |
27
| Bowden, Ann | 8 | England | Roger (1935-2015) and Ann (1934-2015) Bowden owned Bowden Hostas in England. They were key figures in the British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society and are often credited with helping popularize hostas in the U.K. Many of their hostas belong to the "Devon" series. |
28
| Brincka, Wm | 8 | Indiana | William “Bill” Brincka (1927-2001) was a retired professor of Sculpture and
Design who lived in Michigan City, Indiana. The home and gardens developed by Bill and
Basil Cross are now part of the Porter County Parks and Recreation Department and are called the Brincka Cross Gardens. |
29
| Desmedt, Rik | 8 | Georgia | |
30
| Diesen, Bernie | 8 | Nebraska | |
31
| Diesen, Jane | 8 | Nebraska | |
32
| Donsky, George | 8 | New York | George Donsky (1945-2010) was very active in the Western New York Hosta
Society and was an AHS Judge. |
33
| England, Tim | 8 | Illinois | |
34
| Keller, Robert | 8 | Illinois | Bob Keller was owner of White Oak Nursery in Illinois until 2013. |
35
| Kruer, George | 8 | Delaware | George Kruer has served as President of the Delmava Hosta Society in Delaware. |
36
| Laviana, Marc | 8 | Connecticut | Marc Laviana (1955-2017) was President of Sunny Borders Nursies in
Connecticut and was also President of the Connecticut Nurserymen’s Association. |
37
| Scolnik, Patricia | 8 | North Carolina | Patricia Scolnik is owner of Breeze Hill Plant Lab in North Carolina. One of the 28 Hosta of the Year winners through 2023 has been from this originator. |
38
| Smith, Roger | 8 | Pennsylvania | Roger Smith is retired from the U.S. Air Force and lives in Maryland. He is
Educational Outreach Chair for The American Hosta Society and is a member of the
Potomac Hosta Society. |
39
| Tower, Alan | 8 | Washington | Dr Alan Tower founded the Spokane Hosta Society. A clinical psychologist by training, Alan changed careers to become owner of Tower Perennial Gardens near Spokane, Washington. |
40
| Wayside Gardens | 8 | Ohio | The hostas listed were originated when Wayside Gardens was located in Mentor, Ohio before being purchased by Park's Seed Co. |
41
| White, Brian | 8 | Tennessee | Brian White's Nursery in Tennessee |
42
| Whitmore, Bob | 8 | Indiana | Bob Whitmore (1938-2017) was a retired art teacher from Indiana. |
43
| Wilkins, Sandy | 8 | Michigan | Sandy (Straka) Wilkins has been very active in the Indianapolis Hosta
Society and the Michigan Hosta Society. She was the founder of the annual Hosta College. |
44
| Zonneveld, Ben | 8 | Netherlands | Dr. Ben J.M. Zonneveld is a retired professor and researcher in genetics at the University of Leiden in The Netherlands. |
45
| Brown, Sandy | 7 | Michigan | |
46
| Frederking, Ann | 7 | Canada | |
47
| Goodrich, Jonathon | 7 | Wisconsin | From Uniquely Hostas Nursery in Wisconsin and introducer of the "Uniquely" series of hostas along with Marlene Rosenberg. |
48
| Hirose, Yoshimichi | 7 | Japan | Yoshimichi Hirose has been called the “Japanese variegated plant guru” by
fellow guru Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery. |
49
| Kerr, Jeff | 7 | Iowa | Jeff Kerr is a hosta hybridizer from Iowa and a member of the Mississippi
Valley Hosta Society. |
50
| King, Gladys | 7 | Wisconsin | |
51
| Klotz, B. | 7 | Ohio | |
52
| Leuckx, Bart | 7 | Belgium | |
53
| Liu, Donghuan | 7 | China | |
54
| Lohman, Doug | 7 | Ohio | Owner of Lohman's Feed Store & Garden Center
in Ohio. |
55
| Nash, Bill | 7 | Canada | Bill Nash (1941-2014) was the owner of Bill Nash Hostas in Cambridge, Ontario. |
56
| Ontario Hosta Society | 7 | Canada | Ontario Hosta Society in Canada has established a group of what they call “Club Plants”. |
57
| Port, Linda | 7 | Illinois | |
58
| Reath, David | 7 | Michigan | Dr David Reath (1927-1995) was a veterinarian from Michigan’s Upper
Peninsula. He was a founding member of The American Hosta Society. |
59
| Sanford, Matt | 7 | Connecticut | Matt Sanford is a soil scientist from Connecticut who is a member of the Tri-State Hosta Society. |
60
| Simon, Dr Hans | 7 | Germany | Dr Hans Simon (1926-2016) was owner/operator of Gärtnerei Simon in
Marktheidenfeld, Germany. |
61
| Smith, Fred | 7 | Illinois | |
62
| Smith, S.D. | 7 | Michigan | Introduced the "Artisan" series. |
63
| Soucek, Rachel | 7 | Ohio | Jon Soucek (1949-2013) and his daughter, Rachel, started hybridizing hostas in the early 1990s in Ohio. Jon was a founding member and President of the North Coast Hosta Society of Ohio. He was a certified judge at hosta shows and a past President of the Great Lakes Region of The American Hosta Society. |
64
| Soules, Clarence | 7 | Indiana | Marjorie (1926-2006) and Clarence (1918-2005) Soules were the owners of
Soules Gardens in Indiana. |
65
| Squires, Keith | 7 | Canada | Keith Squires is a fourth generation owner of The Country Squires Garden in Campbellville, Ontario, Canada. |
66
| Veenstra, Gerrie | 7 | Netherlands | Introducer of the "Botters" series of hostas. |
67
| Vincun, Rachel | 7 | Canada | |
68
| Westberg, Jim | 7 | Minnesota | |
69
| Whitmer, Milt | 7 | Ohio | |
70
| Bailey, Liberty Hyde | 6 | New York | Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858-1954) was born in South Haven, Michigan and
started his career at Michigan Agriculture College (now Michigan State University) and later became a noted professor at Cornell University in New York. |
71
| Bisschop, Lynn | 6 | Canada | Lynn Bisschop is the owner of Shades of Green nusery in Ontario, Canada. |
72
| Brandt-Sorheim, Peter | 6 | New York | B.Peter Brandt-Sørheim was one of the originators of the Western New
York Hosta Society in 1996. He is the creator of the "Genesee" series. |
73
| Braun-Nauerz, Gaby | 6 | Germany | Gaby Braun-Nauerz is the owner of Blattgrün Gärtnerei in Germany. |
74
| Cullerton, Walter | 6 | Pennsylvania | Walter Cullerton is a Penn State Master Gardener and a past President of the American Conifer Society. |
75
| Eisel, Mervin | 6 | Minnesota | Mervin Eisel was the first International Registrar of the Genus Hosta from
1974 to 1992. He was the recipient of the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit
Award in 2000. |
76
| Gamradt, John | 6 | Minnesota | |
77
| Gonokami, Ken-ichi | 6 | Japan | Introduced the "Gonokami" series of hostas. |
78
| Groothuis, Mike | 6 | Michigan | |
79
| Hatt, Robert | 6 | Massachusetts | |
80
| Johnson, Irwin | 6 | Wisconsin | |
81
| Jones, Samuel, Jr. | 6 | Georgia | Dr Samuel B. Jones Jr. (1933-2016) was a botany professor at the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Carleen opened Picadilly Farm Nursery and Gardens in the early 1980s. A new species discovered in the 1980s, H. jonesii is named for him. |
82
| Liu, Zhiyang | 6 | China | |
83
| Lokies, Martin | 6 | Germany | |
84
| Milhorn, Hank | 6 | Ohio | Hank and Jane Milhorn are the owners of Hoot Owl Hollow Nature Preserve and
Botanical Garden in Ohio. |
85
| Milhorn, Jane | 6 | Ohio | Hank and Jane Milhorn are the owners of Hoot Owl Hollow Nature Preserve and
Botanical Garden in Ohio. |
86
| Olson, Dr Robert | 6 | Minnesota | Dr. Bob Olson (? -2022) was a retired medical doctor and past President (1992-1998)
of The American Hosta Society and the Men’s and Women’s Garden Club of Minneapolis.
Bowas the Editor of The Hosta Journal for many years. In 2019, Bob received the
Lifetime Acheivement Award of The American Hosta Society. |
87
| Payne, Henry | 6 | Connecticut | Henry Payne and his brother, Philip owned Piedmont Gardens in Waterbury,
Connecticut. |
88
| Riehl, Frank | 6 | Iowa | |
89
| Rogers, Floyd | 6 | Illinois | Floyd Rogers owned Butterfield Gardens in Illinois. He taught
at the College of DuPage and North Central University. |
90
| Ross, Henry | 6 | Ohio | Henry Ross (1926-2014) created the Gardenview Horticultural Park in
Strongsville, Ohio in 1949 and opened it to the public in 1961. |
91
| Russ O'Harra Hosta Society | 6 | Iowa | |
92
| Russo, Dave | 6 | New Jersey | |
93
| Sauve, Criste | 6 | Michigan | Introduced the "Sunfish" series of hostas. |
94
| Sebright Gardens | 6 | Oregon | |
95
| Shadrack, Mike | 6 | New York | Mike Shadrack is a retired member of the London Metropolitan Police who
now resides in Buffalo, New York. He has co-authored the Timber Press Pocket Guide
to Hostas (2007) with Diana Grenfell and The Book of Little Hostas: 200 Small, Very Small and Mini
Varieties (2010) with his wife, Kathy Guest Shadrak. |
96
| Spence, Jim | 6 | Canada | |
97
| Struhar, Bill | 6 | Michigan | |
98
| Suggs, Natalee | 6 | Alabama | Natalee Suggs (1915-2001) is one of only two hosta hybridizers from Alabama who we
have listed in our database. Olive Bailey Langdon is the other. |
99
| Treichel, Bernie | 6 | Wisconsin | |
100
| Vandekinderen, Gino | 6 | Belgium | |
101
| Vasey, Mike | 6 | Ohio | |
102
| Viette, Andre | 6 | Virginia | Andre Viette is a second generation nurseryman whose father, Martin,
started Viette Nurseries in 1929 on Long Island, NY. Andre later moved it to Virginia
where it is known as Andre Viette Farm and Nursery and is run by his son, Mark. |
103
| Vissers, Louis | 6 | Belgium | |
104
| Woodroffe, Fleeta Brownell | 6 | Iowa | Fleeta Brownell Woodruffe (1894-1990) was garden
editor at Better Homes and Gardens from 1942 to 1959 and also worked for the Des
Moines Register newspaper from 1940 to 1984. |
105
| Xavier-Sakr, Suzzane | 6 | Massachusetts | |
106
| Ankney, Barry | 5 | Illinois | Barry, a retired school phsycologist, is co-owner of White Oak Nursery
in Illinois. He has served as the President of the Central Illinois Hosta Society (CIHS) and Vice-President
of the Midwest Regional Hosta Society (MRHSBarry is the
Editor of the Online Hosta Journal for The American Hosta Society. |
107
| Arends, Georg | 5 | Germany | Ahrends (1863-1952) was a German nursery owner and horticulturist trained at the Botanical Garden of Breslau. In about 1905, he is credited with the development of one of the most famous
hostas, H. ‘Elegans. |
108
| Beikmann, Stan | 5 | Michigan | Stan Beikmann is a Professor Emeritus
of Horticulture and Landscape Design from Andrews University in Michigan. |
109
| Butler, Dick | 5 | Indiana | Dick Butler and Dr Jamie Street are hosta hybridizers from Indiana. Their hosta introductions have names starting with the phrase, “Jipson Place”. |
110
| Carpenter, Kate | 5 | North Carolina | |
111
| Clifford, John | 5 | Michigan | Introduced the series of hostas that all begin with the word "Cliffords". |
112
| Cornitensis, Roger | 5 | Belgium | |
113
| Davidson, LeRoy | 5 | Washington | LeRoy Davidson (1918-2000) was a florist and horticulture graduate of Washington State
University. He received hostas from sources in Japan in the 1960s and 70s. |
114
| Doughty, Chuck | 5 | Massachusetts | Owner of Cochato Nursery in Massachusetts and creator of the "Cochato" series of hostas. |
115
| Duncan, Mary Jo | 5 | Minnesota | |
116
| Fujita, Dr Noboru | 5 | Japan | Dr Noboru Fujita is a Japanese botanist/ecologist from Kyoto University who is credited
with naming several wild species and varieties of Hosta. |
117
| George, Arthur | 5 | England | Arthur George owned Hydon Nursery in England. All of his hostas start with the word
“Hydon”. |
118
| Grapes, Vivian | 5 | Nebraska | Vivian Grapes (1911-2001) and her sister, Hazel, hybridized hostas and dwarf iris in
Big Springs, Nebraska from the 1930s to the 1960s. |
119
| Grullemans, John J. | 5 | Ohio | John J. Grullemans (1891-1965), originally from the Netherlands, along with
Elmer Schultz started Wayside Gardens nursery in Mentor, Ohio in 1920. |
120
| Hanna, Clarence | 5 | Ohio | |
121
| Hanson, Curt | 5 | Ohio | Curt Hanson owns Crintonic Gardens nursery in Ohio which specializes in
daylilies. |
122
| Harrison, Dr Jamison | 5 | Massachusetts | Dr Jamison Harrison (1903-1966) was a friend of hosta pioneers Florence Shaw, Frances Williams and others. |
123
| Hartmann, Jim | 5 | Minnesota | |
124
| Herrema, Ken | 5 | Michigan | |
125
| Hofer, Paul | 5 | Ohio | Paul Hofer, owner of Antioch Farms, is a hybridizer from Perry, Ohio who is probably best known for introducing the classic cultivar, H. ‘Paul’s Glory’. One of the 28 Hosta of the Year winners through 2023 have been from this originator. |
126
| Isaacs, Charles | 5 | North Carolina | Charles Isaacs owns Moongate Farm in North Carolina. |
127
| Jennings, Dave | 5 | New York | Glenville Gardens in New York |
128
| Kósa, Lehel | 5 | Sweden | Lehel Kósa is owner of Bohus Perenner and Plants in Båstad, Sweden. |
129
| Larsen, Kim | 5 | Minnesota | Kim Larsen from Minnesota is a Master Judge for The American Hosta Society leaf shows. She has been Treasurer and has held other offices with AHS. Kim was the recipient of the 2014 Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award. |
130
| Lefever, Wyatt | 5 | North Carolina | |
131
| Mack, Carl | 5 | Illinois | Carl Mack (Died 1965) owned Mackwoods Gardens in Lotus Woods, Spring Grove, Illinois
and was the author of a book, Plants for Gardens in the Shade (1949). |
132
| Maindok, Hans-Hennig | 5 | Germany | Hans-Henning Maindock is the owner of Creative Gartenplanung in Germany. |
133
| McWilliams, Robb | 5 | Minnesota | Robert “Robb” McWilliams (1949-2008) was a hosta hybridizer from Minnesota who was
active in the Minnesota Hosta Soety. |
134
| Meissner, O. | 5 | Ohio | Mrs O. Meissner from Garden City, Long Island, New York. The name “Meissner” is
associated with several early hostas but we have been unable to find a first name or whether this is
one person or several. |
135
| Nakayama, Toyozo | 5 | Japan | Toyozo Nakayama of Tenjin Yama Bunen Nursery in Japan was a plant explorer . From what we have been able to determine, he was instrumental in introducing several hostas into the U.S. by sending
plants or seeds to certain people. |
136
| Parks, David | 5 | Massachusetts | |
137
| Rassmussen, George | 5 | New York | George Rasmussen is a daylily and hosta hybridizer from Long Island,
New York. |
138
| Rudolph, Thelma | 5 | Illinois | |
139
| Schroeder, Barb | 5 | Illinois | |
140
| Schroeder, Bob | 5 | Illinois | |
141
| Shimizu, Toshirou | 5 | Japan | |
142
| Spece, Josh | 5 | Iowa | Introduced the "Country" series. |
143
| Strandberg, Mark | 5 | Wisconsin | |
144
| Stratton, Elizabeth | 5 | Iowa | |
145
| Stratton, John | 5 | Iowa | |
146
| Street, Dr Jamie | 5 | Indiana | Dick Butler and Dr Jamie Street are hosta hybridizers from Indiana. Their hosta introductions have names starting with the phrase, “Jipson Place”. |
147
| Van Eijk-Bos, Gert | 5 | Netherlands | |
|