Pic of the Day--Midas Touch

Hank Zumach · Post by **Hank Zumach** » Apr 04, 2007 1:08 pm

Hi All--Midas Touch was added to our garden in 1995. Since about 1999 it has been happily growing in a spot that gets about 4-6 hours of mid-day sun, depending on the time of the year. Midas Touch has been a very good, dependable plant for us with no slug problems. The plant has had an interesting growth pattern. For years its size was within an inch or so of 36x18. And then, in 2005, its 11th year, it "leaped" to 44x21, right in line with Zilis' listing of 45x21. Last summer it continued its growth spurt by making it to 48x26.

Registry - http://www.hostaregistrar.org/detail.ph ... as%20Touch

MyHostas - http://myhostas.be/db/hostas/Midas+Touch

Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/m/midas.html

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Apr 04, 2007 1:21 pm

Sure looks good there, Hank!!

I like all of the corrugation. Has that increased any over the years along with the size?

Mine - planted in 2004 - was still just 2 eyes poking thru the other day. I don't think I'll have to worry about it being 4 feet across anytime soon.

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Apr 04, 2007 2:01 pm

Great looking plant, Hank. It's also one of my favorites. Mine is from 1989, and I'm splitting it this spring for First Look Auction winner LucyGoose.

George

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Apr 04, 2007 2:20 pm

Lovely, Hank. I like the colors in that photo. Thanks for sharing with us!

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Apr 04, 2007 2:46 pm

Beautiful plant. I just got it last year so I guess I should make sure that it has plenty of room to grow!

jgh · Post by **jgh** » Apr 04, 2007 3:07 pm

Man, Hank... another Paul Aden (1978)hosta... did you select all these to produce an Aden Eden?

Mine has been slow. The look suggests Tokudama heritage. It takes a little digging, but its there. The parents of MT are Gold Cup and Golden Waffles.

Gold Cup is a cross of Tokudama Aureonebulosa and Golden Prayers, an Aden registration. Golden Waffles is another Aden seedling. Apparently Paul kept recrossing yellow hostas. I think MT is particularly interesting, showing a ton of character... cupping, corrugation, etc - even if it has a little of the Tokudama slow development, it also has some of the qualities that make the Tokudamas worth waiting for.

I don't know why, but I can't find a more recent photo than the young picture from 2003. At least it shows some of the great texture, even in a young plant.

Hank Zumach · Post by **Hank Zumach** » Apr 04, 2007 4:49 pm

Renaldo--Here is a pic from 2002, three years before my first pic. I can't say if the corrugation is any different.

JGH--The run of Paul Aden intros is just coincidence. I don't try to keep track of introducers but I'm glad there are OCD folks like you who do.

Now, I'll go back to recording the measurements of each of our hostas each year .

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Apr 05, 2007 9:30 am

Thanks, Hank - looks the same to me too. And after seeing Jim's pic, I guess it starts early. I just didn't remember mine being that corrugated last year. Guess I'd better pay closer attention this year & make sure I get a picture of it.

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Apr 05, 2007 9:37 am

Great pic, Hank. I love the setting you've given it.
Oddly enough, my Midas Touch has grown faster than most of my other golds. I dug it up and moved it a couple years ago, took a piece off for someone, and it only slowed a little. Now, it's nowhere near the gargantuan proportions of the gnome-grown one, but it's not doing badly!
Linda P

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Apr 05, 2007 10:01 am

OK, so, Midas Touch vs. Zounds vs. Aspen Gold (I only have the latter): do we need all 3 of these?

Talk amongst yourselves.

: Aspen Gold (with its sport, 'On the Edge,' well, on the edge). from a few years ago.

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Apr 05, 2007 12:05 pm

I have 'Midas Touch' and 'Zounds' and they're very different. 'Zounds' is a bright yellow and lower, spreading. 'Midas Touch' is even more dimpled and will turn from chartreuse to a bronzey, yellow color. Both will take a lot of sun. The 'Aspen Gold' I had was in a pot, and I lost it a few winters ago.

George

Kas · Post by **Kas** » Apr 05, 2007 4:42 pm

Hank,

Your 'Midas Touch' is going to be smaller next year, since you gave me a nice chunk last year. My plant has one huge eye and three smaller eyes. Can't wait for it to unfurl!

Kas

Hank Zumach · Post by **Hank Zumach** » Apr 05, 2007 6:27 pm

Kas--It sounds like it is happy in its new home.