Ugliest Seedling

wzbt03 · Post by **wzbt03** » Apr 13, 2007 8:18 am

I have thought of posting this topic for quite a while and its time has finally come.
I started a group of Hypoleuca seedlings in November and they have been ugly from the start.
The undersides are a nice white but that does not even help. I did end up with one nice looking one which I will post later when I find it.
Most look exactly like this picture.
So if you have one that is uglier that looks like it will live (as this one should), then post it in this subject listing.

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Apr 13, 2007 10:25 am

Ah, give the poor thing some time. It may surprise you one day. If it's got good white backs, I'd let it grow on for a while and see if the next set of leaves looks a little better. I have a few Xanadu Empress Wu seedlings that looked like that when they were babies. By the end of the summer, they had grown like weeds and the leaves were more normally shaped. I'm wondering if it isn't something to do with rapid growth that causes the distortion in the leaves? Anyone know?
Linda P

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Apr 13, 2007 12:12 pm

One side looks like it's growing faster than the other so that it looks stretched. Looks uncomfortable at best.

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Apr 13, 2007 12:53 pm

Yikes!

Some of my babies looked like that early on then I realized they were too close to the lights. Maybe this one just likes more shade????

hummingbird · Post by **hummingbird** » Apr 13, 2007 3:49 pm

awwwwwwwe

...I'm cheering for the poor lil underdog (show'em what ur made of)

Liselotte · Post by **Liselotte** » Apr 13, 2007 8:32 pm

Any hypoleuca seedling coming up for me will be kept for a lomg time

I have some rather impressive looking 10 year old seedlings from Pete Ruh's seeds. It is hard to decide which ones are keepers. So please, give that little thingy a chance!

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Apr 14, 2007 2:34 am

wzbt03 wrote:I have thought of posting this topic for quite a while and its time has finally come.
I started a group of Hypoleuca seedlings in November and they have been ugly from the start.
The undersides are a nice white but that does not even help. I did end up with one nice looking one which I will post later when I find it.
Most look exactly like this picture.
So if you have one that is uglier that looks like it will live (as this one should), then post it in this subject listing.

So, do you usually keep the inside of your house so cold your seedlings get nipped and have frost damage?

wzbt03 · Post by **wzbt03** » Apr 14, 2007 7:55 am

No frost damage to this duckling.
I have about 7 of these growing and they all look like the picture except one.
They have not been too close to lights or too much fertilizer, they were born ugly and have stayed ugly.
When a new leaf comes in it never comes in looking nice and then turns ugly. Its ugly from the get go.

Certainly someone out there is growing its ugly cousin they can post?

wzbt03 · Post by **wzbt03** » Apr 14, 2007 7:46 pm

The other side of ugly - still ugly!

DBoweMD · Post by **DBoweMD** » Apr 16, 2007 8:30 am

My experience with hypoleuca seedlings is exactly like yours. It's a genetic trait, but they look better in the second year.
By better, I mean not getting the early leaf damage. They still have very odd looking leaves. Of course, I want hostas that look different from what we already have so that's a good thing sometimes.

Hallson Gardens

Ugliest Seedling

Ugliest Seedling

WZ

Re: Ugliest Seedling

Frost

Ugly