Pic of the Day--Decorata

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Hank Zumach
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Joined: Oct 11, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Stoddard, WI

Pic of the Day--Decorata

Post by Hank Zumach »

Hi All--Decorata is one of the varieties that has problems passing the 10 foot rule. The rounded leaves do distinguish it from a number of similar varieties. I got Decorata in 2001 and have had it growing in a spot that does not get any direct sun. Considering it's location, it has had a decent growth rate. Its measurements have been 16x9, 21x9, 25x13, 31x14, 33x16, 26x10 and 33x11 after getting a small amount of herbicide in 2006. That puts it in reach of Zilis' listing of 42x15. It does benefit from slug protection.

Registry - http://www.hostaregistrar.org/detail.ph ... y=Decorata
MyHostas - http://myhostas.be/db/hostas/Decorata
Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/d/decor.html

The pix are from 2002 and 2007.
Decorata 6-25-07c 030.jpg
decorata 6-24-02c.jpg
decorata 6-24-02c.jpg (52.68 KiB) Viewed 3799 times
Hank
Better Gnomes & Gardens
zone 4B-5A
Latitude: 43° 48' 51" N
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LucyGoose
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Joined: Nov 14, 2001 8:00 pm
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Post by LucyGoose »

Hi Hank!

I have this one, too....Deb118 gave it to me....No pictures....it's ate up now anyway. :lol:

Thanks for the POD!! :D
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Patrushka
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USDA Zone: 5a
Location: Zone 5 - Indiana

Post by Patrushka »

Very nice Hank. :D I got one from Deb too but it did not return this year. :(
Pat
My Hosta List

Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.
~ Walt Whitman
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LucyGoose
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Post by LucyGoose »

Awwww Miss Missy Pat, would you like some of mine??
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Patrushka
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Post by Patrushka »

:lol: LucyGoose, first Dark Star and now Decorata, should I just come over with my shovel?

If yours is big enough to share, I surely would. :D
Pat
My Hosta List

Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.
~ Walt Whitman
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LucyGoose
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Post by LucyGoose »

Yes, come......Glad you mentioned DS.....Ya know what? I just might go dig them and just send them on....I'll let you know! :D
wishiwere
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Post by wishiwere »

:lol: Why do you girls even ask? I'd think by now, you'd have 1/2 of each of your gardens at the others home anyway! :lol:

Nice Pics Hank, BTW!
Jane (from the middle of the Mitten state)
My hosta list: viewtopic.php?t=39540
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LucyGoose
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Post by LucyGoose »

:lol: Jane!! Nope, Pat has the room and shade that I don't.....:lol:

Sorry Hank..... :oops:
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DBoweMD
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Post by DBoweMD »

Decorata has historical significance, was also called Thomas Hogg after the man who brought it to America from the Far East in the late 1800's I think.
It has a lot to do with my journey in Hosta knowledge, because My aunt gave me some that she got from the gravesite of an great great Uncle. It had been there a very long time. It was before I could see a difference between Sugar and Cream vs Undulata Albomarginata. I could however see that it was different from any other white margined hostas that I had seen, and set out on the quest to figure out just what it was. It was not to be found in any nurseries that I was shopping at.
I bought Zilis's Hosta Handbook, and started reading about all of the white margined Hostas, and as a newbie didn't really understand the descriptions well enough to be meaningful, like substance, or rhizomatous, or ovate leaf shape.
I remember realizing this had to be it when I read about the time when this was introduced, and it made sense that being so old it was not the hot item at the nurseries. It was old enough to have been at a grave site for 50 years.
Then I got more into the other descriptors, like the very dark purple, late blooming and fertile flowers.
Because it is rhizomatous and not a tight base, the leaves get a haphazard look. They are very much egg shaped. Goddess of Athena is a yellower edge, and is derived from Decorata.
I never have any trouble recognizing it.
Hank Zumach
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Joined: Oct 11, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Stoddard, WI

Post by Hank Zumach »

Dave--Thanks for the very interesting post. :cool:
Hank
Better Gnomes & Gardens
zone 4B-5A
Latitude: 43° 48' 51" N
eastwood2007
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Post by eastwood2007 »

Cool story, Dave. Have you ever actually seen the gravesite where yours came from? That would make some cool pics for your hosta scrapbook... :cool:
Charla
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
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DBoweMD
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Post by DBoweMD »

Charla, I didn't see it when they were planted there. My Aunt dug them all up when a big tree came down, I think. I probably have seen the grave but I don't know which one it is. She doesn't remember whose grave it was exactly. Might have been several graves, as the families were real big.
I think they were my grandmother's aunts and uncles, and maybe grandparents. Grandma's parents are not in that cemetery.
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Spider
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Post by Spider »

What a cool story!!
Spider's Hosta List There are photos there too :)

"I gotta have more cowbell!" SNL

"If your gecko is broken you have a reptile dysfunction."

"If you don't talk to your cat about catnip...who will?"
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LucyGoose
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Post by LucyGoose »

Hi Dr. Dave!!

I agree, pretty cool how you got your D! :cool:
wishiwere
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Post by wishiwere »

Hosta history! Love the story!

Very neat to think one day, our children or grandchildren will maybe have something from us that is living and breathing long after we've gone, but have a story to share on that. Like our own seedling of special memory, etc.... Neat! Thanks for sharing that!
Jane (from the middle of the Mitten state)
My hosta list: viewtopic.php?t=39540
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