PAGE TOP

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) An article by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (1985 Vol. 16) states that he has formulated two hosta nomenclature "laws" namely, "IF A HOSTA CAN HAVE TWO OR MORE NAMES, IT WILL. IF TWO OR MORE HOSTAS CAN HAVE THE SAME NAME, THEY WILL."

2) A catalog advertisement from Soules Garden in Indiana in The Hosta Journal (1991 Vol. 22 No. 2) offered the following Marge and Clarence Soules introductions:   'Blue Plisse' - $75.00, 'Crinolin Petticoats' - $75.00, 'Kong' - $75.00, 'Lime Krinkles' - $100.00, 'Placemat' - $100.00, 'Sunami' - $50 and "Special Price Fall 1991 -- Tissue culture release 'Fantastic'..." - $125.00.

3) An article by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (1992 Vol. 23 No. 1) states that, "Why would any wholesale nursery propagate 'Exotic Frances Williams' and offer it to garden centers and nurseries across the country? Pity the unsuspecting home gardeners that buy it...H. 'Exotic Frances Williams' is the ugliest hosta I've ever seen. It has the drawstring effect. The leaves are distorted. The center is a muddy green, not 'Frances Williams' handsome blue-green. The border is narrow and white, not 'Frances Williams' medium-to-wide yellow-gold...I threw away my plant years ago."

4) A catalog advertisement from Fairway Enterprises (Eldren and Nancy Minks) in Minnesota in The Hosta Journal (1994 Vol. 25 No. 1) offered the following hostas (among others): 'Banana Flip' - $100.00, 'Candle Glow' - $100.00, 'Coventry' - $100.00, 'Formal Attire' - $100.00, 'Holiday White' - $100.00, 'Mesa Fringe' - $100.00, 'Nancy Minks' - $150.00, 'Prince Albert' - $100.00, and 'Royal Highness' - $100.00.

5) An article by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (1995 Vol. 26 No. 2) states that, "H. 'Dick Ward' is a handsome new cultivar, a sport of gold-leaved 'Zounds' with a wide green border. It was introduced and registered by Handy Hatfield...named for the well-known hosta collector, Dr. Richard Ward of Columbus, Ohio...H. 'Dick Ward'...currently selling for $150 for nice-sized divisions."

6) An article about H. 'Dorothy Benedict' by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (2004 Vol. 35 No.3) says, "It was at the 1997 AHS Convention in Indianapolis, Herb Benedict brought a piece of 'Dorothy Benedict' to the auction. Though Herb had registered this cultivar in 1983, it was still extremely scarce...Jerry Hadrava of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I was told, was overheard saying he was going to buy this 'Dorothy Benedict' at any cost. Well, the winning bid was $3,000.00 and it was Hadrava's."

7) An article by Bob Solberg (nurseryman, noted hybridizer and past president of The American Hosta Society ) in The Hosta Journal (2000 Vol. 31 No. 1) states that, in his opinion, the Top 10 Hosta Events of the 20th Century would include:

1. The development of the tissue-culture process for hostas by Mark Zilis and Walters Gardens, Inc. in the late 1970s and the formation of the hosta liner industry by T&Z Nursery (now Q&Z Nursery).

2. The formation of The American Hosta Society in 1968 by Alex Summers, its first president and Bulletin editor, and Eunice Fisher.

3. The work of Frances Williams in  promoting hosts through her letters, which left a historical time capsule of the hostas and people of the mid-century. Also, her discovery of Hosta 'Frances Williams' in 1936 in Bristol, Connecticut, and her hybridization of 'Beatrice' .

4. The distribution and marketing of new hostas to the gardening public in large numbers in the late 1970s and 1980s through the alliance of Paul Aden and Klehm's Nursery and Catalogue and Aden's Hosta Book. Many of these hostas, such as 'Sum and Substance' and 'Great Expectations', have become household names.

5. The hybridization of the Tardianas, the bluest group of hostas, by Eric Smith of Hadspen House, Dorset, England, in the early 1960s.

6. The hybridization and promotion of the "Sea" series of hostas by Mildred Seaver. She was dubbed "Queen of Hostas" because of her enthusiastic spirit and infectious excitement over hostas during the past 30 or so years. Her love of color in hostas may be best exemplified by her 'Spilt Milk'.

7. The work of Eunice Fisher promoting hostas in the Midwest. The publication of her book which was the first hosta book for gardeners and collectors, Hosta: The Aristocratic Pant for Shady Gardens (three editions: 1969, 1973, 1979)

8. The mail-order marketing of Hatfield Gardens, head by Handy Hatfield. In the 1980s and early 1990s Hatfield was the premier introducer of the best new hostas of hybridizers like Kevin Vaughn, William and Eleanor Lachman, and Mildred Seaver.

9. The establishment of Savory's Gardens, Inc. by Bob and Arlene Savory in 1946, which hybridized new hostas for the retail and wholesale trade including 'Golden Tiara' and 'Lemon Lime'.

10. The establishment and growth of Shady Oaks Nursery, in the 1990s, whose huge production numbers of hostas finally helped hosta supply meet gardeners' demand.

8) An article about H. 'My Child Insook' by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (2004 Vol. 35 No.3) says, "The all-time high for a hosta was at the 1998 AHS Convention auction in Peoria, Illinois. Herb Benedict offered his highly regarded 'My Child Insook', announcing it was very rare and emphasizing it was only in a few of his friends' gardens...H. 'My Child Insook' sold for a record $4,100.00."

9) An article about name changes by W. George Schmid in The Hosta Journal (2004 Vol. 35 No.3) says, "H. fortunei is in fact no longer recognized as a species...It is of cultivated origin and does not exist as a wild population, so I reclassified it as the cultivar H. 'Fortunei'."

10) An article by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (2006 Vol. 37 No. 1) says, "There is another Trophy Hosta from the 2005 AHS convention auction in Ohio: H. 'Mito-no-yuki'...It sold for $1,800.00." W. George Schmid explained that the name means something like "flower of Mito" which is a city in Japan near where the plant was found...Doug Beilstein donated the plant which he got from Bette Comfrey of Silvermist Nursery. She obtained it from Toyozo Nakayama of Japan in 1995.

11) An article about H. 'Reiho' by Akira Horinaka in The Hosta Journal (2006 Vol. 37 No. 1) says,  "This is a well-known diminutive hosta. A hybrid with white-centered leaf and a deep green margin, it was the progeny of a white-veined cultivar of 'Fortunei'...and the species H. venusta...H. 'Reiho' has been a prized cultivar; it sold at 12,500 yen (about $1,000) for a single division in 1988."

12) The following poem by Judy Burns of Georgia was included in  The Hosta Journal (2010 Vol. 41 No. 1).
I love 'Lady Isobel Barnett',
She's my favorite hosta, and yet,
I also love 'Francee',
'Naomi' and 'Nancy',
And 'Abby', and 'June', and 'Coquette'.

13) An article by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal  (2014 Vol. 45 No. 1) states that, "The AHS Cultivar Origination Commission…concluded that Kevin C. Vaughn and the late Florence Shaw should be credited for some of Aden’s registrations…Eight of Paul Aden ’s crème de la crème registrations are credited to Kevin Vaughn as originator and 16 to Florence Shaw…Among them are H. ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ (K. Vaughn – 1982), ‘So Sweet’ (K. Vaughn –1986), ‘Zounds’ (F. Shaw – 1978), ‘Love Pat’ (F. Shaw – 1978), ‘Sum and Substance’ (F. Shaw – 1980) and ‘Blue Angel’ (F. Shaw – 1986)."

Copyright© 2000 -