|
|
In an article in
The
Hosta Journal (2001 Vol. 32 No. 1),
Tom Micheletti,
former President of The American Hosta Society took on the task of listing the
"Classic Hosta Cultivars" through the year
2003. He decided to divide these into
categories including: Green,
Blue,
Yellow (Gold,
White-Margined,
Yellow-Margined,
White Medio-Variegated
and Yellow Medio-Variegated.
Of course all species of hosta are
green, and they are all classics. Those that are readily available
to gardeners are: H. longipes,
H. kikutii,
H. montana,
H. plantaginea, H. ventricosa,
H. venusta and
H. yingeri . |
Classic
Green Hostas |
- H. 'Candy Hearts' has dark-green heart-shaped leaves.
- H. 'Donahue Piecrust' is one of the best piecrust-margined
hostas.
- H. 'Fortunei Hyacinthina' is the precursor to many sports.
- H. 'Green Fountain' has long pointed flowing leaves.
- H. 'Joseph', if you want shiny dark-green leaves, this the
plant for you. It has masses of lavender flowers to boot!
- H. 'Hirao Majesty',
H. 'Hirao Splendor' and
H. 'Hirao
Supreme' are each distinctive.
- H. 'Honebells' is one of the first fragrant hybrid hostas.
- H. 'Invincible' is not indestructible, but very distinctive
with shiny dark-green leaves and large fragrant flowers.
- H. 'Lakeside Black Satin' is noted for every dark-green
satiny leaves.
- H. 'Lancifolia' is probably the most widely grown hosta.
|
- H. 'Leather Sheen' has dark-green leathery leaves.
- H. 'Maraschino Cherry' is another dark-green, but just wait
till the flowers appear in late summer on dark, cherry red
petioles!
- H. 'Elatior' is the one, if you like big hostas. There are a
couple of look-alikes, but this one's flowers grow straight up
rather than sideway from the plant.
- H. 'Pearl Lake' is an old time blue green that has staying
power.
- H.
'Regal Rhubarb' is one of the first hybrids to have red
petioles.
- H. 'Royal Standard' -- who can fault this plain green,
sun-tolerant hosta in late summer when masses of pure white
fragrant flowers appear?
- H. 'Second Wind' is a plain green sport of a popular
variegated plant, but distinctive and showy in its own right.
- H. 'Sparkling Burgundy' is another green with delightful
flowers and red stems.
- H. 'Tortifrons' is like no other hosta!
- H. 'Undulata
Erromena' is the green sport of the
white-margined hosta that Grandma grew.
|
This is quite an extensive list of
distinctive cultivars. Many have been popular either with gardeners,
landscapers and collectors for over 25 years...Their timeless beauty
is why they are still kicking after all these years. |
|
|
|