Posted: Nov 11, 2006 10:29 pm
Hi everyone,
I'm getting in on this discussion a little late, but it's interesting to hear what characteristics appeal to various people. We're all different and we have our own opinions about what makes beautiful and attractive hosta. There are so many different traits to consider. Even with the several thousand cultivars we have to choose from, we're all waiting for that one major "breakthrough," like a red-leaved hosta.
I suppose that the vast majority of hosta breeding is not really thought out or intentional- a lot of times done randomly, even by the bees. The folks that are consistantly working toward a specific trait for several years are in the minority.
It seems that pretty much anything that is new or different has an appeal to some people.
A description of the many various characteristics of a hosta are listed on the "application for registration" with the AHS, as follows (along with my ramblings to think about):
Plant Size: miniature/small/medium/large/giant (I suppose some folks are tying to make an extremely miniature or an extremely gigantic hosta)
Leaf Color: 17 different colors are listed (Of course, there can be an endless combination of colors on a hosta leaf. We know some people are trying to make a red-leaved hosta. Now there is a bronze-leaved hosta, and they're trying to make more. How about purple, orange, black, pink, or transparent leaves? Should we add a category for hostas that have leaves that change color throughout the season? Or those with white undersides? What about hostas that have a pattern on the leaf, like 'Tatoo'? Is someone aiming to improve on this? What about lined-leaved hostas, or you can call them striped-leaved, such as 'Amime Tachi' and 'Mito-no-Hana'?)
Flower Time: 5 flower time listed, ranging from "before June 1" to "after Oct 1" (Is anyone trying to breed a winter blooming hosta?)
Flower Color: 6 colors listed, ranging from pure white to lavendar to purple (Is anyone breeding for flowers that are pink, red, yellow, green? Bi-colored?)
Plant Habit: upright/mound-like/rhizomatous (Some hostas are very vase-shaped. Others have leaves that stick straight up from the ground. Still others have leaves that are horizontal and may lay flat against the ground. Is anyone breeding for a hosta that is vine-like? That will climb a trellis? Or one that has several leaves on each petiole? Or that has lots of flowers and lots of leaves all on the same petiole? Or one that has leaves on the petiole with flowers at the bottom of the petiole? Or one that produces no flowers?)
Growth Rate: slow/medium/fast (How about a hosta that doesn't require a period of dormancy? Or one that grows so fast that it can be planted in the spring as an annual each year?)
Leaf Texture: dull/slightly shiny/very shiny/glaucous bloom (How about leaves that are waxy? Or rough and abrasive?)
Leaf Appearance: cupped/twisted/folded/wavy/corrugated/flat (Should we add piecrusted, contorted, twisted, never opening up, cupped upward, cupped downward, spiraled, or pointed straight downward? What about breeding for petioles that are fuzzy, or jointed?)
Leaf Shape: lance/elliptic/ovate/braodly ovate/nearly round (Is anyone trying to breed for leaves that are triangular, square, lobed, or grass-like?)
(We should add another characteristic here- Leaf Thickness: thin, average, thick, and very thick)
Flower, Scape, and Pod Detail: scape height, scape color, scape leaves, bloom time and duration, bloom fragrance, flower shape and size, seed details (Is someone working on reboomers? Hostas with extremely large and showy flowers so that a hosta is like a daylily? Hostas that are abundantly floriferous? Strong scapes and good branching? Flowers that have a different color throat? An eyezone? Ruffled edges on the petals? Or breeding for flowers that would attract hummingbirds and butterflies?)
Also, how about hostas that are even more sun and heat tolerant? Even more cold hardy? Or that are so vigorous that they are an exceptional ground cover?
I think the possibilities could go on and on!!! Don
I'm getting in on this discussion a little late, but it's interesting to hear what characteristics appeal to various people. We're all different and we have our own opinions about what makes beautiful and attractive hosta. There are so many different traits to consider. Even with the several thousand cultivars we have to choose from, we're all waiting for that one major "breakthrough," like a red-leaved hosta.
I suppose that the vast majority of hosta breeding is not really thought out or intentional- a lot of times done randomly, even by the bees. The folks that are consistantly working toward a specific trait for several years are in the minority.
It seems that pretty much anything that is new or different has an appeal to some people.
A description of the many various characteristics of a hosta are listed on the "application for registration" with the AHS, as follows (along with my ramblings to think about):
Plant Size: miniature/small/medium/large/giant (I suppose some folks are tying to make an extremely miniature or an extremely gigantic hosta)
Leaf Color: 17 different colors are listed (Of course, there can be an endless combination of colors on a hosta leaf. We know some people are trying to make a red-leaved hosta. Now there is a bronze-leaved hosta, and they're trying to make more. How about purple, orange, black, pink, or transparent leaves? Should we add a category for hostas that have leaves that change color throughout the season? Or those with white undersides? What about hostas that have a pattern on the leaf, like 'Tatoo'? Is someone aiming to improve on this? What about lined-leaved hostas, or you can call them striped-leaved, such as 'Amime Tachi' and 'Mito-no-Hana'?)
Flower Time: 5 flower time listed, ranging from "before June 1" to "after Oct 1" (Is anyone trying to breed a winter blooming hosta?)
Flower Color: 6 colors listed, ranging from pure white to lavendar to purple (Is anyone breeding for flowers that are pink, red, yellow, green? Bi-colored?)
Plant Habit: upright/mound-like/rhizomatous (Some hostas are very vase-shaped. Others have leaves that stick straight up from the ground. Still others have leaves that are horizontal and may lay flat against the ground. Is anyone breeding for a hosta that is vine-like? That will climb a trellis? Or one that has several leaves on each petiole? Or that has lots of flowers and lots of leaves all on the same petiole? Or one that has leaves on the petiole with flowers at the bottom of the petiole? Or one that produces no flowers?)
Growth Rate: slow/medium/fast (How about a hosta that doesn't require a period of dormancy? Or one that grows so fast that it can be planted in the spring as an annual each year?)
Leaf Texture: dull/slightly shiny/very shiny/glaucous bloom (How about leaves that are waxy? Or rough and abrasive?)
Leaf Appearance: cupped/twisted/folded/wavy/corrugated/flat (Should we add piecrusted, contorted, twisted, never opening up, cupped upward, cupped downward, spiraled, or pointed straight downward? What about breeding for petioles that are fuzzy, or jointed?)
Leaf Shape: lance/elliptic/ovate/braodly ovate/nearly round (Is anyone trying to breed for leaves that are triangular, square, lobed, or grass-like?)
(We should add another characteristic here- Leaf Thickness: thin, average, thick, and very thick)
Flower, Scape, and Pod Detail: scape height, scape color, scape leaves, bloom time and duration, bloom fragrance, flower shape and size, seed details (Is someone working on reboomers? Hostas with extremely large and showy flowers so that a hosta is like a daylily? Hostas that are abundantly floriferous? Strong scapes and good branching? Flowers that have a different color throat? An eyezone? Ruffled edges on the petals? Or breeding for flowers that would attract hummingbirds and butterflies?)
Also, how about hostas that are even more sun and heat tolerant? Even more cold hardy? Or that are so vigorous that they are an exceptional ground cover?
I think the possibilities could go on and on!!! Don