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| Photo: Gail Hudson, Y&G News Editor |
Did you know there are 6,100 registered cultivars or varieties according to the American Hosta Society? Many more likely exist that are not registered.
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| Chimera hostas Photo: Gail Hudson, Y&G News Editor |
Why are hostas striped?
Many hostas are chimeras….with different cells growing side by side and this accounts for the variegated or striped, patterned foliage. Propagating or slicing hosta crowns often reveals new cells with new color patterns and so we see a lot of variation in hostas. Fun for gardeners!The best for slug resistance
Nursery owner and designer Steve Kelley gave a talk entitled
Iron Clad Hosta at the 2020 Northern Green conference in January 2020. His many years of
research and work with hosta made him an excellent person to hear from.
Steve cited 15 of his favorites and gave tips on why hosta vary for slug damage. Slugs and deer, like soft, easy to chew foliage such as Hosta lancifolia, the common narrow-leaved hosta that lines many sidewalks or driveways.
The thick tougher leaves of the blue cultivars such as ‘Krossa Regal’ and ‘Regal Splendor’ help to make them less palatible for slugs. ‘First Frost’ is also slug resistant.
Steve cited 15 of his favorites and gave tips on why hosta vary for slug damage. Slugs and deer, like soft, easy to chew foliage such as Hosta lancifolia, the common narrow-leaved hosta that lines many sidewalks or driveways.
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| Hosta 'Regal Splendor', slug resistant. Photo: WaltersGardens.com |
The thick tougher leaves of the blue cultivars such as ‘Krossa Regal’ and ‘Regal Splendor’ help to make them less palatible for slugs. ‘First Frost’ is also slug resistant.
Mr Kelley noted Hosta sieboldiana var. elegans is a 1905 selection that is tried and true, but also a slow grower and slow to increase for garden division. In contrast ‘Golden Tiara’ from a local Minnesota hosta expert is fast to grow and increase.
The best for pollinators
He reminded me to get Hosta plantaginea for
its large fragrant flowers, that pollinators love. ‘Royal Standard’ is a
seedling of H. plantaginea that is especially nice.
Smaller leaved hosta are slow to grow and take much longer to increase in the garden. However ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is a faster growing dwarf or miniature hosta. For sunny locations, ‘Sun Power’, ‘Sum and Substance’ and ‘Gold Standard’ were recommended.
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| Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' miniature hosta Photo: Missouri Botanical Garden |
Smaller leaved hosta are slow to grow and take much longer to increase in the garden. However ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is a faster growing dwarf or miniature hosta. For sunny locations, ‘Sun Power’, ‘Sum and Substance’ and ‘Gold Standard’ were recommended.
Resources
For more information on hosta see this Extension website. Or join the American Hosta Society or locally the Minnesota Hosta Society. Many of the local society meetings are open to the public and welcome non-members to attend.Minnesota will be hosting the national American Hosta Society meeting this June 10-13, 2020 in Minneapolis. Hosta will be for sale to the public at this event! Now is a great time to join these groups if you love hosta or want to learn more about this tough plant.
BOLD hosta are also winners of the British Royal
Horticultural Society’s Award
of Garden Merit.
Author: Mary H. Meyer, Extension Horticulturist and Professor
Author: Mary H. Meyer, Extension Horticulturist and Professor
