Newbe here, need help. What is this Hostas name?

[newB]

Hello all!
I love seeing all your pictures. I am learning what I like and what I just have to have!!! ( I like them all and want all of them but I want some more than others : ) I have a bad case of Hosta envy. I thought that starting out with 18 different plants was great, then I looked at some of the lists that you all have and WOW!!! I have much to aspire to! So keep sending pictures, please.

I have been given some Hostas. (My friends and family have been very kind!)o n Unfortunatly one knows what they are. I have been trying to figure it out but.... every time I think I have it, I find some other variety that it could be. I give up! I know from looking in the beds of my neighbors and such that they are common. But what they are is beyond me and my neighbors are no help. I know that they are Hostas! Lol. I guess that they don't care about their name. (some people are strange that way)

I have so much to learn!! But that is what makes it fun and interesting. Any help is greatly appreciated, any advice is very welcomed.

Thanks Everyone!
Mari

[newB]

Sorry about the typo on my last post, kitty is helping me : )

Here is another Hosta that needs a name. This was a small piece from my friends 17 year old Hosta. It seems to be a slow grower for her, it is really taking off for me. She gets more sun in her beds than I do so it seems to be enjoying the shade. (she can't believe the pictures I showed her. I have only had it 11 days!)

I just love the colors in this Hosta it is one of my favorites (of the plants that I have, that is!)

Thanks again,
Mari

[newB]

Here is the last for now.

This plant was growing in the "bed" of an abandoned repo house next to our property. I rescued it, the poor thing was trying to grow between several large rocks in the full sun. Again, it has done very well for me. I have no idea how old it is or where it came from.

I was able to rescue just a tiny bit, 2/3 eyes. (I am not sure if the little eye growing off a big eye is considered an eye Lol)

I love the wavy look, could it be a Whirlwind? I am not sure.

Thanks so much for looking!!

[k9clipper]

I am certainly no expert, but the last two look like they could be some type of undulatas??????Dont know about the first. I'm sure some more experienced people will chime in a be able to help.

[whip1]

Did you come into my yard and take pictures? I don't know what they are, but I have the same ones. I agree about the last two being the same.

[newB]

Well I hope one of the experts can help us then. I am glad that you pointed out the obvious : ) the last two do look the same.

Thats okay, disappointing sure, but I am just starting out and my beds look pretty bare so I am happy to have the Hostas growing, looking good, healthy and covering the the dirt ; ) I hope they grow fast what ever they are! And they are pretty. I really like the various colors.

Thanks for looking at them! Are yours bigger? If so post some pictures, I would love to see what they will look like when they get bigger.

[Izzy]

Hi there!
Not an expert, but I agree with the last two looking the same! Undulata of sort maybe a "Picto" The first one looks like a "Lancifolia" The color should get a little darker as the summer progresses. Yours looks to be in a little more sunlight than where mine typically sits.
Check out the "Hosta Libary". Lots of great pictures and full of great discriptions. Trust me your growing love for these amasing varieties will soon become an addiction! LOL
Izzy

[newB]

Izzy,

Yes, I can certainly see how it becomes an addiction! I am currently sitting on my hands, Hallson is just aout in my back yard! less than 20 minutes away! They open May 9th!! I can't wait!!!

Thank you so much for your input. I will look up the names you suggested and see if the pictures match.

The second picture came from my friend, she had it in quite a bit of sun. It looked very bleached out when I got it.

My "main" bed is under a huge maple tree that is just starting to fill out so the bed is getting some early morning sun, about 3 or so hours right now. I took that picture this morning at about 9am. After 10am or so the sun is pretty much blocked out by the tree and my house.

Do you think that I have it in too much sun? I could move it to the other side of the tree. The light is much more filtered there.

I am so excited to see what they will look like at the end of the season and again next spring!

[Pieter]

My "main" bed is under a huge maple tree

Do hate to tell you this Newbe, but, maple trees and Hostas are NOT made for each other. Though I have no personal experience in the matter, I have read more than once or twice that maple trees are about the last tree you'd want to place Hostas under. My guess is it has to do with the maple roots choking the Hosta roots. While they may last a couple of years, apparently they will never thrive under maple trees. I suggest you relocate them sooner rather than later.

And welcome to Hostaholics Anonymous, we're naught but enablers around here

[k9clipper]

Here is a picture of one of my undulatas. It is probobly several years old, it was at my house when I bought it. They always come up first in the Spring, I have 5 of them.

[ViolaAnn]

I agree with k9clipper - one of the undulatas (all of which MAY be the same plant in different stages).

Ann

[newB]

Wow,

Your Undula is gorgeous! I love it even if it is one I see everywhere, the colors are great. I am looking forward to mine growing that large someday. I think you all are right. It certainly looks like that is my plant only better : )

Will mine grow that large? What happens when you divide a Hosta? Is it like a new plant? (ie young plant) Or is it just an adult that will grow?

This is hard, much harder than I thought it would be! I had no idea that Hostas changed so much, or that Juveniles could look so different from the adult plants, or that the amount of sun exposure could totally change everything about a plant. So much so that my Patriot looks nothing like my neighbors Patriot! How do you guys do it? It must take years and years of growing and studying and still it seems nothing is set when it comes to these plants. Hostas are astounding! No wonder we love them so much. Just when we think we got it, it changes! Defiantly keeps you on your toes, and keeps your interest.

As for my Maple tree, this is my main bed! Yikes! I will have to see if I can find some more information on how to make this work.

My shaded areas are only in the front, which is where the Maple tree is. It is a very old large tree and it takes up most of the yard. Would it still be growing enough to interfere with my Hostas? When I decided to do the Hosta garden we brought in 5 yards of screened top soil, 1+ yard of peat (sorry, this is what I was told to do) and 2+ yards of compost so the bed is quite large and built up away from the trees roots. Is this really going to be a problem?

When we were preparing for our beds we dug out the patches of grass/weeds, we rotor tilled, then brought in the top soil, peat and compost. (We purchased our house as a repo so the whole yard was a neglected weed field. It took allot of topsoil just to get the yard level after we got all of the weeds out. )

My point is that the Hosta bed is more than two feet above the ground and the tree roots are below that. I am just starting out so I can still build the bed up even higher if necessary, but I can't relocate it or get rid of the tree. Ughhh! I really hope I can find a solution for this!

Thanks for the help and advice. Keep sending pictures! I love looking at the different ways people grow their plants and I have gotten some great ideas from seeing what others do.

[newB]

I am in awe. Your plants are so beautiful! How long have you been collecting? I wrote down some of the varietys you have that I really like, some of them I have never seen before. I got a whole page of names from your site!

I have never seen Warwick Curtsey, Center of Attention and several others. Your Spilt Milk looks so different from some of the others I have seen, much darker.

Do you think the soild green Hosta in my first picture could be a Clausa? It kind of looks like the picture of the plant you have. Just a guess.

I am going to be in big trouble.... I want them all! Am I derranged? I am starting to think about taking over the whole front yard.... and sneeking over to dig up the Hosta growing in my sisters neighbors back yard. It is growing in his grass, huge and happy all alone in the back of his yard, I am afraid he is going to mow it over.... This is crazy! I think I need to see someone ; )

[Izzy]

I've always heard that Hosta's and Maples don't go together.
Don't fret, I have two beds circling two red maples.
They both have Hosta's, Solomans seal, lucifers, small ornamental shrubs, cork screw, tulips, rockets, bleeding hearts, Huechrea, and the list goes on.... and on ... Oh and some Daliahs. Oh, a couple of roses and a Holly.
The front gardens are like a bed spread, "Don't sit on it, it's just for show"
so far all the Hosta's have been very happy. I did put down 2 layers of garden cloth, with mesh screening in between the layers. Then raised the bed around 12" or so.
The biggest problem I'm faced with in the spring is Aphids . So I've learned that treating the front trees are a must at the very beginning of the season. I believe they migrate from a neighbours tree, but I can't be sure.
I'm glad I was of some assistance to you.
You will not be disapointed to get your Hosta's from Chris.
I'm half wanting to crash his party in July? Bring a tent, and sleep in the feilds! Dream come true!
It wouldn't be the feild of dreams, but the feild of hostas. Which to me is the same as the feild of dreams!
Izzy

[newB]

Whew!!!!

I am so glad to hear that. My tree is a Red Maple as well. I am not sure about the Aphids? What are they? I have never noticed any bugs or anything on the tree but I never had a Hosta garden that I was watching so I don't think I would have noticed.


I have been watching for slugs and snail, none so far!

Thank you so much for your reply. I was really worried.