We have searched our copies of The Hosta Journal for anything that might relate to any of the over 13,300 hosta names in our database. We extracted parts of articles that dealt with historical matters, opinions of well-known hostaphiles, recommendations (positive or negative), lookalike cultivars and the seemingly never ending problem with confusing names.

Where appropriate, we placed a copy of the material on the individual cultivar or species page. We also put the information and quotations on a group of topic pages listed below:

  1. Blue Hostas
  2. 'Blue Mouse Ears'
  3. Early Hosta Cultivars
  4. Fall Bloomers
  5. Flowers
  6. Green Hostas
  7. Halcyon Group
  8. Hosta History
  9. Hybridizing
  1. Japanese Words
  2. Large Hostas
  3. Look-a-Like Hostas
  4. Hosta Names
  5. Non-US Hostas
  6. Photo Essays
  7. Plant Traits
  8. Hosta Series
  9. Small Hostas
  1. Hosta Species
  2. Top Rated Hostas
  3. Unstable Variegation
  4. White Margin Hostas
  5. White Medial Hostas
  6. Yellow Hostas
  7. Yellow Margin Hostas
  8. Yellow Medial Hostas

1) 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.

After all this is what hostas are best known for. Can any other species in the plant kingdom boast as many variegated selections?
Classic White-Margined Hostas
  1. H. 'Fragrant Bouquet' almost has it all: brightly colored leaves, nice variegation, sun tolerance and fragrant flowers. AHGA Hosta of the Year for 1998.
  2. H. 'Francee' has dark-green leaves that are nicely set off by the pure white margins.
  3. H. 'Frosted Jade' has large, jade-green leaves that are distinctively surrounded by a clear white margin.
  4. H. 'Ginko Craig' has many look-alikes, but is the one most well-known.
  5. H. 'Little Wonder' is a small compact mound of variegated leaves, with purple flowers hovering high above the foliage.
  6. H. 'Mildred Seaver' is a large hosta that has nice white margins.
  7. H. Minuteman' and its cousin H. 'Patriot' are the most well-known selections of the wide white-margined sports of H. 'Francee'.
  8. H. 'Moonlight' is one of the few white-margined, gold-leaved hostas, and this sport of H. 'Gold Standard' is one of the better ones.
  9. H. 'Mountain Snow' is a distinctive plant with large, pointed leaves and irregular white margins.
  10. H. 'Neat Splash Rim' and H. 'Yellow Splash Rim' are difficult to tell apart, but these stable margined sports of unstable streaked hostas are vigorous growing plants topped by nice purple flowers.
  11. H. 'Northern Exposure' and H. 'Northern Halo', if the correct variety, are exquisite white-margined sports of H. sieboldiana 'Elegans' .
  12. H. 'Pizzazz' has puckered, dusty gray-green leaves with irregular white margins.
  13. H. 'Platinum Tiara' is the gold-leaved, white-margined sport of H. 'Golden Tiara'.
  1. H. 'Queen Josephine' has shiny, dark-green leaves with wide creamy-white margins. It is topped by large clusters of lavender flowers in late summer.
  2. H. 'Regal Splendor' -- who can refute this white margined beauty for distinction and splendor!
  3. H. 'Sagae' at maturity this AHGS Hosta of the Year for 2000 is probably one of the most beautiful hostas in the garden. Formerly known as H. fluctuans 'Variegated'.
  4. H. 'Sea Dream' is a nice gold-leaved hosta with thin white margins.
  5. H. 'Shade Fanfare' has the creamy-white margins which surround a light-green leaf center on this colorful plant.
  6. H. 'So Sweet' -- oh yes, how sweet it is! First AHGA Hosts of the Year (1996).
  7. H. 'Stiletto' is a vigorous growing plant that knives through the garden with its pointed, wavy margined leaves.
  8. H. 'Sugar and Cream' is a sun-tolerant sport of H. 'Honeybells' and has the same wavy leaves, only with creamy-white margins.
  9. H. 'Torchlight' has upright held white-margined leaves with red petioles.
  10. H. 'Undulata Albomarginata', is probably the one plant that says "hosta."
  11. H. ventricosa 'Aureomarginata', as the name implies, is yellow-margined but the leaves have a creamy-white margin throughout most of the season. If this plant had a fancy name it would be more  popular. Nonetheless it is a beautiful classic hosta.
  12. H. 'Wide Brim' -- what garden hasn't at one time grown this old time favorite?

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.

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