Pic of the Day--Yellow River

Talk about hostas, hostas, and more hostas! Companion plant topics should be posted in the Shade Garden forum.

Moderators: ViolaAnn, redcrx, Chris_W

New Topic Post Reply
Hank Zumach
Posts: 3262
Joined: Oct 11, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Stoddard, WI

Pic of the Day--Yellow River

Post by Hank Zumach »

Hi All--Yellow River is one of the most striking varieties in our collection. It is one of the plants that many visitors comment on. It has also suffered through a serious critter attack that almost destroyed the plant. I bought YR in 1995. It has been growing in a spot that gets about 2-3 hours of sun. It did just fine, reaching a size of 69x32 in 2001. Then in both 2002 and 2003, it was afflicted with what I now believe was an iris bore that caused a fungal rot of the stems and crown. I finally successfully treated the plant with a systemic pesticide and fungicide and after a couple of years for recovery, last summer it made it back to 68x25, right in line with Zilis' listing of 66x30 and its appearance was as extraordinary as ever. Yellow River does need slug protection. The pix are from 6-24-02, just before the iris bore attack, 7-19-02, showing the effects of the ensuing rot, and June of 2006.

Registry - http://www.hostaregistrar.org/detail.ph ... ow%20River
MyHostas - http://myhostas.be/db/hostas/Yellow+River
Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/wxyz/yellowriver.html
Yellow River 6-26-06c.jpg
Yellow River 7-19-02cc 002.jpg
Yellow River 6-24-02c 273.jpg
Hank
Better Gnomes & Gardens
zone 4B-5A
Latitude: 43° 48' 51" N
User avatar
newtohosta-no more
Posts: 15270
Joined: Oct 25, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Ohio, Zone 5

Post by newtohosta-no more »

My goodness, Hank! That last pic of YR is gorgeous! Maybe one day mine will be that beautiful. :???:
'Yellow River'
'Yellow River'
~JOAN~
My Hosta List

Tomorrow is promised to no one, so love and laugh today.
User avatar
LucyGoose
Posts: 17710
Joined: Nov 14, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Zone 5, Northwest Indiana

Post by LucyGoose »

:cool:
User avatar
jgh
Posts: 5135
Joined: Oct 14, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota zone 4

Post by jgh »

Sometimes I think our relationships are a little like our relationships with people. They are highly dependent on circumstances and not always logical. I have friends from my past that, if I met them now, wouldn't have the qualities that would make me develop a new friendship at this phase in my life. Likewise, I am well aware that there are people who could have been close, but the timing just wasn't right.

That's been my relationship with Yellow River. It's a fairly common and relatively inexpensive hosta. When I was still early in my hosta collecting, I had Fortunei Auremarginata and Montana Aureomarginata, so when I read of a medium to large hosta with large green leaves and a yellow margin I kind of said "been there - done that" and passed on Yellow River. Then I fell in love with Abba Dabba Do, making YR even more redundant.

With the Shady Oaks / Lyndale windfall, when I added something like 250 cultivars in one season, I picked up a YR and put it in an out of the way spot... just to have one.

Then I visited Hank. I saw his YR from a distance... guessed it was some very special hosta, then learned that that giant showy specimen was actually the fairly common YR, given the right place and care... and if Hank's description isn't enough, I will verify that it is a knockout!

I don't have any pictures to show that don't just pale by comparison to Hank's. As you can see by N_T_H_N_M's pic, YR is one that doesn't show its mature character when it is younger. A potted division will not have the giant, gorgeous leaves of an adult plant - another reason people pass this by in the nursery rather than snapping it up and giving it a well-deserved place of honor.

History... developed by Eric Smith - famous for the Tardiana Grex and all those great blue hostas - in England years ago. Zilis notes that Peter Ruh registered YR for Eric Smith in 1993, but it has been around many more years than that.

Bottom Line - you may not have room for both Abba Dabba Do and Yellow River... but everybody should at least have one or the other and use it as a showpiece!
User avatar
renaldo75
Posts: 10306
Joined: Jul 15, 2002 8:00 pm
Location: SW Iowa Z4b

Post by renaldo75 »

It looked even better last year than it did in 2002, Hank!! :P 8-)
GO HAWKEYES!!!

Renaldo's Hosta List
Latitude: 40° 59' 17.6676"; Longitude: -94° 44' 28.014"
User avatar
Tigger
Posts: 2727
Joined: Oct 14, 2001 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 6b - 7a
Location: SE Penna Zone 6b (7a?), lat. 39°50'
Contact:

Post by Tigger »

Ditto, ditto. I think that Yellow River is a more beautiful (certainly more elegant) hosta than Abba Dabba Do, but the latter certainly has growth rate in its favor.
User avatar
thy
Posts: 9047
Joined: Sep 23, 2002 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 7
Location: Denmark - 7B/8A Lat. 55,23

Post by thy »

Elegant is the keyword for it.. got one spring 2005 and planted it in my sons garden.. and a Yabba Dabba Doo too after the pics showed here on the forum.

Just had to call him today, they have bought a nw house and have the old one for sale... the new one have a mall garden.. so did he still want to babysit for my hostas... sure wanted :D
Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.
E-mail for pics hostapics@gmail.com
User avatar
playinmud
Posts: 409
Joined: Oct 04, 2005 12:52 pm
Location: NJ z6

Post by playinmud »

That is a show piece, that's for certain! Thanks Hank. I'll have to look for a spot for one of those.

And now for some odd reason, I have the tune "Moon River" stuck in my mind. Sigh. :hmm:
~PIM~

°`°º¤ø,¸¸Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life¸¸,ø¤º°`°
User avatar
jgh
Posts: 5135
Joined: Oct 14, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota zone 4

'Moon River'

Post by jgh »

Hey, Donna... here's one for you!

And if I ever get a reverse sport from this one, there will be an H. 'Holly Golightly' :wink:

Hosta Registry - http://www.hostaregistrar.org/detail.ph ... on%20River
MyHostas - http://www.myhostas.be/db/hostas/Moon+River
Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/m/moonrivr.html
'Moon River'
'Moon River'
irawon
Posts: 129
Joined: Oct 02, 2010 1:34 pm
USDA Zone: 5b
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: Pic of the Day--Yellow River

Post by irawon »

I don't have an Abba Dabba Do, but I did plant a yellow River in 2007.I love its upright habit and can't wait for it to get as big as Hank's.
June 18, 2012
June 18, 2012
Last edited by irawon on Jun 25, 2016 5:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
redcrx
Posts: 4872
Joined: Jun 23, 2008 4:39 pm
USDA Zone: 7
Location: Camden, New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Pic of the Day--Yellow River

Post by redcrx »

I picked up Yellow River at the end of the 2011 season. It looks totally different as a young potted plant from the photos of mature plants.
Yellow River - August 24, 2011
Yellow River - August 24, 2011
Yellow River - August 24, 2011
Yellow River - August 24, 2011
Yellow River - August 24, 2011
Yellow River - August 24, 2011
Yellow River - September 9, 2011
Yellow River - September 9, 2011
Yellow River - September 9, 2011
Yellow River - September 9, 2011
Ed McHugh, Sicklerville NJ
ImageMockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
User avatar
redcrx
Posts: 4872
Joined: Jun 23, 2008 4:39 pm
USDA Zone: 7
Location: Camden, New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Pic of the Day--Yellow River

Post by redcrx »

This is one I had asked for help to ID.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57826

I was out weeding this morning and got a nice leaf photo.

Yellow River:
Yellow River - June 10, 2015
Yellow River - June 10, 2015
Yellow River - June 10, 2015
Yellow River - June 10, 2015
Ed McHugh, Sicklerville NJ
ImageMockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
Esox
Posts: 28
Joined: May 04, 2009 8:56 pm
USDA Zone: 4
Location: Apple Valley, MN

Re: Pic of the Day--Yellow River

Post by Esox »

Yellow River began my love affair with hostas. I was thinking about buying some because we have a lot of shady areas, but I didn't know much about them. So I took a visit to Savory's and toured their display area. I was astounded by a Yellow River I saw there. It was so large, so elegant. And I wanted one.

I've had a few misfortunes with Yellow River since then, but I think things are finally coming together and I now have one in a place it could grow. I also bought Abba Dabba Do about the same time and it grew like a weed and was the largest hosta in the yard for a long time before it began to deteriorate. I finally dug it up, saved several good eyes and transplanted it. Now it is about to get serious again.

Times have changed over the years and a person walking around our yard today wouldn't notice either of these hostas.
User avatar
redcrx
Posts: 4872
Joined: Jun 23, 2008 4:39 pm
USDA Zone: 7
Location: Camden, New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Pic of the Day--Yellow River

Post by redcrx »

Yellow River is taking over the space. There is a Regal Supreme getting crushed.
Yellow River - June 21, 2106
Yellow River - June 21, 2106
Yellow River - June 21, 2106
Yellow River - June 21, 2106
Here it is in the group setting. Dick Ward is on the left.
Yellow River - June 21, 2106
Yellow River - June 21, 2106
And here is the Regal Supreme hiding under Yellow River.
Regal Supreme - June 21, 2016
Regal Supreme - June 21, 2016
Ed McHugh, Sicklerville NJ
ImageMockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
User avatar
redcrx
Posts: 4872
Joined: Jun 23, 2008 4:39 pm
USDA Zone: 7
Location: Camden, New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Pic of the Day--Yellow River

Post by redcrx »

Yellow River this season - it may be the biggest hosta I have.
Yellow River - May 24, 2017
Yellow River - May 24, 2017
Ed McHugh, Sicklerville NJ
ImageMockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
User avatar
redcrx
Posts: 4872
Joined: Jun 23, 2008 4:39 pm
USDA Zone: 7
Location: Camden, New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Pic of the Day--Yellow River

Post by redcrx »

I have to move some things that are getting crushed.
Yellow River - May 22, 2018
Yellow River - May 22, 2018
reverse angle
Yellow River - May 22, 2018
Yellow River - May 22, 2018
Yellow River - May 22, 2018
Yellow River - May 22, 2018
Yellow River - May 22, 2018
Yellow River - May 22, 2018
Ed McHugh, Sicklerville NJ
ImageMockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
New Topic Post Reply