Changes after dividing

downsouthWDE · Post by **downsouthWDE** » May 07, 2011 1:29 am

Last year, I moved a Guacamole, and split it in the process. One part, I put in a really shady spot, and it came up this year looking like this...

The other parts get more sun, and came up like this...

Even the new leaves, shaded by the older ones have no dark edges. All eyes on the solid green clumps are solid green, and look more like Fried Green Tomatoes, maybe. All eyes on the more shaded one have dark edges. Can lighting completely change it to this extent?

jgh · Post by **jgh** » May 07, 2011 8:36 am

I think time will answer your question. I love Guacamole, but the negative rap on it has been that it takes too long to "color up" - meaning that when it emerges in my garden, it looks all green for a while, then slowly develops the variegation that makes it so attractive. Stained Glass, a sport of G, was marketed as basically Guacamole-but-it-emerges-colored. I've found Stained Glass to be better colored early, but also slower growing and smaller in leaf and clump than G.

G. does sport to the all-green FGT, though mine has been very stable and it was my impression that was most likely to happen in tissue culturing. Hard to compare Alabama and Minnesota growing conditions, but if the green divisions stay green for over a month or so without showing variegation, I'm going to guess that the crown had a section ready to sport to all-green and when you divided you got some of that section.

The good news is, if you did get a FGT lookalike - its an incredibly fast grower, with attractive shiny leaves and the great fragrant flowers - works well into landscaping.

BTW - if you like Guacamole, you will likely love Avocado / Holy Mole...

downsouthWDE · Post by **downsouthWDE** » May 07, 2011 9:25 am

Thanks, jgh. Both of these photos are new pics of the actual plants in question. I divided it in mid summer last year. Guacamole is the best performer in the southern heat, and isn't phased at all by long periods of direct mid summer Alabama sun. I have a large one that is about 5 years old that gets some mid day sun. It is beautiful, but is solid green. I just don't think it is Guacamole anymore. I just took a piece of it and moved it to a shadier location for experimental purposes...lol. Of course, the leaves are already up, so I won't know anything this year.

jgh · Post by **jgh** » May 07, 2011 9:40 am

yup... sounds like you've got a green sport.

As to lighting differences... most hostas that "color up" actually color up faster given more light and more slowly in shadier spots. Kind of makes sense... in the sunnier location a plant doesn't need as much chlorophyll to manufacture energy for growth and those in shadier spots.

But you've got a hotter sun there in the South, so you've got a whole different sun/shade equation than I've ever had to deal with...

redcrx · Post by **redcrx** » May 07, 2011 9:46 am

Here's a picture of mine about a week ago exploding out of the ground. It has gotten big quickly and puts out the biggest flowers of the group (at least in yard).

: Guacamole April 30, 2011 with Tortilla Chip at the bottom left

And the same plant a couple of years ago.

: Guacamole August 26, 2009

downsouthWDE · Post by **downsouthWDE** » May 07, 2011 10:37 am

Nice! Looks like that thing is gonna be a monster this year!

lykaon78 · Post by **lykaon78** » May 07, 2011 11:45 am

Guacamole is my favorite hosta. I just love the irregular varigation and subtle differences from leaf to leaf.

Unfortunately, I've had I had the same problem as DownsouthWDE. My guacamole has been unstable. Last year I had to split out 3 all green eyes in a 7 eyed plant. This year it appears I've either missed one or another eye has come-up all green.

The good news, as others have mentioned, is that the 3 Fried Green Tomatoes eyes that popped up are extremely vigorous growers. I split and transplanted them in mid-September and they come back up as 5 eyes.

redcrx · Post by **redcrx** » May 08, 2011 8:02 am

I've never had a green eye on my G. I do have one BIG green eye on my biggest Stained Glass. I wonder what that's called - Green Glass - hmmm - Mosel Wine Bottle.

ViolaAnn · Post by **ViolaAnn** » May 08, 2011 8:06 am

jgh - for those of us who have small gardens and grow very few LARGE hostas, what is FGT?

flowerchild59 · Post by **flowerchild59** » May 08, 2011 8:31 am

FGT is fried green tomatoes hosta.

ViolaAnn · Post by **ViolaAnn** » May 08, 2011 10:12 am

Thanks.

gesila9 · Post by **gesila9** » May 08, 2011 11:18 pm

Last year was the first year I had Guacamole and it stayed green all year. I'm moving it this week and putting Touch of Class in it's place. I'm going to put Guacamole in a location that gets a little more sun and see if it changes color. I'm also pulling out two Fragrant Bouquets out of the same area and replacing them with Royal Tapestry and Sleeping Beauty. This whole part of the garden should look totally different this year.

redcrx · Post by **redcrx** » May 09, 2011 12:30 am

It sure will - Fragrant Bouquets should be HUGE compared the Sleeping Beauty.

I was getting some shots today and found a green hunk on the backside of my Guacamole.