The variety of hosta species, and even more so varieties, is amazing. The atlas of hosta varieties contains more than 2,500 specimens, but breeders are increasing their number every year.
Now in every garden, be it a luxurious estate or a tiny summer cottage, you can see a variety of hostas. This amazing plant, which quickly burst into the assortment of perennials quite recently, very quickly found itself at the peak of success. In America, hosta (or its second name, funkia) is among the top sellers; in Europe it is approaching the top of demand.
Why do gardeners choose hosta?
Why is the host so loved?
- First of all, the amazing decorative qualities of the leaves won recognition. Looking at the gigantic funkia “burdocks”, up to one and a half meters tall, and the miniature rosettes sitting right there, 15 centimeters in diameter with delicate corrugated leaves, it is very difficult to imagine that these are the same plant. And how many intermediate forms and shades a host can give!
- Perhaps the most important thing in understanding the popularity of hostas is that growing this wonderful plant is accessible to everyone - both the seasoned professional gardener and the novice amateur. The plant's agricultural technology is very simple: the hosta does not require complex pruning, pesticide treatment, mandatory division or winter shelter. In addition, funkia is a long-liver, so more than one generation of garden owners will admire it.
- And the final touch to revealing the secret of love for hosts is its universality. Almost any flower bed or composition in the garden will sparkle with new colors when replanted with a decorative funkia bush. It will highlight the best features of any plant and skillfully hide its imperfections.
How do hosta varieties differ?
Without going into details species diversity(more on this in a separate article), it is worth noting that hosta varieties differ as follows:
- in height (from miniature 10-centimeter crumbs to bushes the size of an average-sized person);
- by color (from soft cream to deep green, with the presence of yellow, light green, lime, blue colors of varying intensity and combination);
- according to the shape of the leaf plate (lanceolate, round, wavy);
- by leaf texture (from glossy-smooth to “waffle”).
Often, funkia varieties combine these features in an absolutely fantastic way. There are miniature hostas with wavy lanceolate leaves, there are medium-sized ones with round smooth foliage of a blue hue, and there are huge bushes with a wavy surface of a copper-yellow hue.
Let's look at the most popular hosta varieties and decide in which place they will look most advantageous.
Non-green hosta varieties
Of course, the most popular ones are those whose foliage is colored differently from that of most garden plants - in green color. Particularly in demand are varieties that have multi-colored stripes or spots - yellow, pale green, white, bluish.
Among the most popular are the following.
Thunderbolt
A large bush with very dense foliage of green-blue color and a stripe in the center, initially yellow, by the end of summer - white.
The variety feels great in partial shade, enlivening the lower and middle tiers of the shady mixborder with light stripes and white peduncles. It grows well and overwinters in large containers.
First Frost
An extremely popular variety, recognized as “Host of the Year” in 2010. The medium-height (35 cm) and spreading bush (90 cm) makes a huge impression on the audience.
It goes well with roses, lilies and is often included in silver-blue flower beds.
Sum and Substance
What garden guests immediately notice is this gorgeous hosta! Huge, up to 80 cm in height and up to a meter in diameter, it simply attracts attention with its giant leaves of a rich yellow-green color. The foliage is dense, with a beautiful wavy texture.
Unlike other fungi, this variety is not interesting to slugs; the foliage is always clean and without holes.
The location is both sunny and slightly shaded. Hosta requires regular watering and spring fertilizing complex fertilizers.
Fits well into compositions with decorative deciduous shrubs and coniferous crops.
Captain's Adventure
A very elegant hosta with oval leaves and a low rosette. The plates are green-yellow with an interesting “waffle” structure. A distinctive feature is a wide cream border, clearly separated from the core by a dark green feather-like stripe.
Grows well in partial shade and in diffuse sun. From several hostas of this variety you can create a long shady border, especially beautiful when the small lavender-colored inflorescences bloom.
Lakeside Dragonfly
Compact (30 cm in height and diameter) variety with narrow green-blue leaves and a cream-colored edge. It blooms from late July until autumn with beautiful purple flowers.
Suitable for growing in rock gardens, rock gardens, and medium-sized flower beds. Grows well in pots and tubs.
It grows in width very slowly, so it is divided only after reaching 5-7 years of age.
T-Rex (T. Rex)
Giant (up to one and a half meters in height) hosta with amazing decorative leaves greenish-gray color. Between the deeply hidden veins, the leaf plate has a beautiful wavy structure.
T. Rex will become the main accent of the garden, its highlight. Looks good surrounded by other hostas, as well as large perennials - buzulnik, rogersia, brunners. The plant is shade-tolerant and blooms for a long time with dense white inflorescences.
So Sweet
Popular compact variety. The main feature is very fragrant flowers! Green pointed leaves are edged with a white stripe.
This hosta feels great both in the sun and in partial shade, so it is often used for large rockeries, as well as as a border for roses and other beautiful flowering perennials.
Blue Ivory
One of the recently fashionable varieties with a very decorative leaf blade. At the beginning of summer it is dove-blue with a contrasting creamy stripe along the edge, and by autumn it becomes blue-blue, the edges turn white.
The bush is wide (up to 1 meter in diameter), of medium height (50 cm). Location: shade. Looks great as a tapeworm on the lawn, especially in adulthood, when the variety is visible in all its glory. It combines beautifully in a flower garden with plants that bloom blue and lilac flowers and also have silvery foliage.
Liberty
A very bright and unique variety. The bush is tall (80 cm), with a dense dome. The foliage is heart-shaped with a very wide yellow-golden border, which fades to white by the end of summer.
One of the favorite varieties among gardeners, it brightens up shaded areas like a ray of sunshine. True, this function does not like strong shading, responding to a lack of lighting by greening the leaf plate.
Mini-hosts
This group of varieties has also become attractive to gardeners recently, as they are suitable for use in small front gardens, edges along the path, mini-gardens, rock gardens, as well as for container gardening.
There are no special features or difficulties in growing them - the little ones are as unpretentious as the large varieties, very frost-resistant, and durable.
The only thing you need to pay close attention to is protection from displacement of dwarf hostas by aggressive plants, including funkia with large leaves.
Some subtleties in growing different varieties
For different varieties, it is important to choose a suitable place, more brightly lit or partially shaded.
The more space on the leaf plate is occupied by light-colored areas (yellow, white, cream), the lighter the location should be. It must be remembered that very light hostas contain little chlorophyll and live until mid-summer due to starch reserves in the roots. Starting in July, the light areas on the leaf blade turn green - and this is a normal phenomenon, since the plant turns on the process of photosynthesis to its fullest, begins to prepare for the next season and lays off again nutrients in reserve.
1. Classification of hosts.
3. Peonies Ito hybrids. Varieties and agricultural technology.
4. paniculate hydrangeas: A great accent to your garden.
Host classification
According to the height of the bush, species and varieties are divided into:
miniature, or dwarf (miniature, mini, dwarf) - 5-10 cm;
small (small) - 16-20 cm;
medium (medium) - 30-50 cm;
large (large) - from 55-70 cm;
very large, or giant (very large, giant), - 70-130 cm and above, form lush bushes that are good for the background of the composition, serve good background for other plants.
Based on color they are distinguished:
Blue hostas.
In blue varieties, the surface of the leaves is usually covered with a waxy coating, which is better preserved in the shade. Among this group there are: dwarf varieties with dense, hard leaves "Blue Mouse Ears" (Blue Mouse Ears), "Blue Ice", ("Blue Ice"), and low-growing ones, for example "Blue Cadet".
Many medium-sized hostas: Halcyon, Astral Bliss, Blue Cascade, Neptune.
In this group of varieties there are also large hostas with a “waffle” leaf texture, such as “Millennium”, “Her Eyes Were Blue”, vase-shaped “Frank Lloyd Wright” Lloyd Wright"), "Bamm Bamm Blue". Based on the shape of the leaf, varieties whose leaves are folded into a cup are also interesting: “Love Pat”.
Green-leaved hostas.
At first glance, green hostas are simple and uninteresting. But this impression is deceptive: it is among them that we see a huge variety of textures and shapes: the incredible waffle quality of the Clear Fork River Valley sheet, Lakeside Prophecy, the varnished shine of Devon Green " ("Devon Green"), "Bridegroom".
Remarkable and unusual “grass” hosts: “Praying Hands”, “Hands Up”, hostas with curled leaves “Corcscrew”, “Ringtail” ), "Curly Fries".
The green “giants” “Jurassic Park”, “Niagara Falls”, “T Rex” are magnificent.
In addition, the shape of the bush in this group, as a rule, has the most interesting shape - there are bushes in the form of fountains and vases. Green leaves also come in different shades - chartreuse, apple, olive or dark green to black "Irish Luck", "Lakeside Storm Watch". They are very good in company with yellow-leaved and blue , dilute variegated ones and serve as a good background for other flowers and decorative perennials.
Yellow-leaved and golden hostas.
The varieties of this group are very diverse in color, height, size and shape of leaves. Wonderful dwarf hosts of the new Tini series have appeared: “Lemontini”, “Appletini”, there are also large ones: “Sum And Substance”, “Zounds” ), "Dawn's Early Light".
But the predominant varieties in this group are the medium-sized varieties “Cranberry Wine”, “Dancing Queen”, “Marrakech”, “Nancy”. All yellow-leaved hostas grow well in full sun or partial shade.
Albomarginates.
Albomarginates, or white-edged hostas, are represented by both dwarf varieties "Glamour" and "Lucky Mouse" and tall varieties "American Halo" and "Bridal Falls". Falls"), not to mention the medium ones, which are the majority in this color class. The white border gives a special elegance to all varieties of the group. Among the well-known albumarginates, reliable varieties can be distinguished: “Christmas Tree”, “Patriot”, etc.
Aureomarginates.
This is the name given to plants, in particular hostas, with a yellow or cream border along the edges of the leaves. Winning combination yellow and green are well known - that’s why the varieties of these hostas are so beautiful. Among them the most famous are: "Sagae", "Ocean Isle", "Liberty", "Sunshine Glory", "Spartacus" Spartacus"), the hosta variety "Captain's Adventure" is very interesting.
Media variegates.
These plants are the reverse coloration of the previous two forms: a light center (yellow, cream, white) edged with green or blue. Hosta varieties with this leaf color look very original, especially the new ones “Brother Stefan” and “Deliverance”.
The varieties of past years are also very reliable and loved by many host growers: "June", "Stained Glass", "Mango Tango", "Ann Kulpa" (" Ann Culpa"), "Touch of Class", "Inniswood".
Tri-color or multi-color hostas.
Such varieties are the latest achievement of foreign selection. Their color is dominated by green, blue and yellow, which are sometimes separated by a white stripe, and sometimes either smoothly blend into each other or form a feather-like pattern. In short, the leaves of these hosta varieties are a real work of art.
Among them we should mention: "Kiwi Full Monty", "Golden Meadows", "Dream Weawer", "Volcano Island" , "The King" ("The King").
Red petiolate hostas.
These varieties are decorative due to the bright purple color of the leaf petioles. Sometimes colored red, pink or purple tones and flower stalks with seed pods. In varieties of recent years, the red color increasingly transfers to the leaf along the central vein.
Among them are host varieties: "Celtic Uplends", "Paradise Island", "Purple Heart", "Purple Haze", " Raspberry Sundae, etc.
Hosts are strikes.
Hostas with variegated leaves, in the form of spots, stripes, shading. Often the design of each sheet is not similar to the others. Hostas with this type of coloring are still very rare. In most cases, they cannot be propagated industrially and these varieties are divided only by hand. Sometimes they produce monochromatic shoots that need to be removed from the bush.
Some of the best hosta varieties in this group are: “Confused Angel”, “Galaxy”, “Ice Age Trail”.
(c) all rights reserved, illegal copying of materials from Nursery Khutorok LLC is prohibited
Popularity ratings of hosta varieties.
To date, about 8 thousand hosta varieties have been created in the world. Many of these varieties duplicate each other in some ways, some grow very slowly or are unstable in color, and some are of interest mainly to breeders.
But, undoubtedly, among these thousands of varieties there are universally recognized “stars”, masterpieces that brought fame to their creators and are ready to decorate any garden and any hosta collection.
This section provides information on ratings of hosta varieties from different sources: the title of "Host of the Year" for the last 15 years, voting by the forum of host lovers "GardenWeb" (USA), some personal observations.
Of course, “advanced” host owners have long formed their own preferences, and this information will probably not be new to them. Well, for those who are taking their first steps in collecting hostas or simply want to select several beautiful hosta varieties for a certain corner in the garden, this information may make the choice easier.
1. Title "Host of the Year".
The American Hosta Growers Association (AHGA) has awarded the title “Hosta of the Year” since 1996. The variety is selected by vote of the association members; it must be unique and show excellent growth qualities.
List of hosts holding the title “Host of the Year”:
2019 - Lakeside Paisley Print
2018 - World Cup
2017 - Brother Stefan
2016 - Curly Fries
2015 - Victory
2014 - Abiqua Drinking Gourd
2013
- Rainforest Sunrise
2012 - Liberty
2011 - Praying Hands
2010 - First Frost
2009 - Earth Angel
2008 - Blue Mouse Ears
2007 - Paradigm
2006 - Stained Glass
2005 - Striptease
2004 - Sum and Substance
2003 - Regal Splendor
2002 - Guacamole
2001 - June
2000 - Sagae
1999 - Paul's Glory
1998 - Fragrant Bouquet
1997 - Patriot
1996 - So Sweet
2. Voting forum "GardenWeb" .
About
2000 of the most active forum members.
1.June
2.Liberty
3. Sagae
4. Sum and Substance
5. Blue Angel
6. Regal Splendor
7. Paradigm
8.Guardian Angel
9-10. montana Aureomarginata
Earth Angel
11. Guacamole
12-13. Stained Glass
Halcyon
14-16. Paul's Glory
First Frost
Crossa Regal
17-19. Blue Mouse Ears
Queen of the Seas
Touch of Class
20. Striptease
21. Sun Power
22. Journey's End
23-25. Atlantis
Great Expectations
Dream Queen
26-29. Rainforest Sunrise
Old Glory
Golden Meadows
Orange Marmalade
30-36. Elegans
Kiwi Full Monty
Cathedral Windows
Olive Bailey Langdon
Praying Hands
Niagara Falls
Brother Stefan
37-38. Gold Standard
Dancing Queen
39. Spartacus
40. El Nino
And, in conclusion, some information from personal observations about how hosts develop and show their beauty in the Moscow region.
So, the “ten” favorites:
Classic:
1. Liberty
2. June (June)
3. Queen of the Seas
4. Golden Meadows
5. Brother Stefan
6. Stained Glass
7. Paradise Island
8. Dream Queen
9. Sagae (Saga)
10. Niagara Falls
New items (2010-2014):
1. LS Prophecy Fullfiled (Lakeside Prophecy Fullfield)
Mini Skirt
2. Simply Sharon (Simply Sharon)
Сapecod (Capecod)
3. LS Paisley Print (Lakeside Paisley Print)
4. Ben Vernoij
Prince of Darkness
5. Volcano Island
6. Church Mouse
7. Forbidden Fruit
Whishing Well
8. Wheee! (Weeeee!)
9. Bridal Falls
10. Rhino Hide
section under development
HOSTS OF THE YEAR - the most fashionable hosts
Since 1996, the Hosta Society of America has annually selected a variety that has received universal recognition. Here they are, the favorites of American gardeners:
1996 - So Sweet. A variety with shiny oval-pointed green leaves with a wide creamy edge. Leaf dimensions 11x18 cm, flowers are white, fragrant. M
1997 - Patriot. One of the most contrasting varieties in color: the dark green center of the leaf is surrounded by a coarse-toothed pure white border. Sheet dimensions 13x17 cm. Withstands direct sunlight. M
1998 - Fragrant Bouquet. The leaves are round-heart-shaped, light lemon-yellow in color with an uneven creamy border, 15x20 cm in size. The name (English: Fragrant Bouquet) reflects the peculiarity of the variety - white flowers exude a pleasant, delicate aroma. Another advantage is resistance to eating by slugs. M
1999 - Paul's Glory. The wrinkled leaves of this variety show a blue color (from the parent hosta Siebold) with a yellow center, their size is 12x20 cm. The color changes during the season: the middle becomes almost white, and the edge is blue-green. M
2000 - Sagae. Young leaves are bright green with a dark yellow border; as they grow, they turn silvery-bluish with a pale yellow border. The size of the leaves is 25x35 cm, located on the bush in the form of a vase. L
2001 - June. When planted in a sunny position, it produces stunning heart-shaped golden-yellow leaves with a blue edge, measuring 10x16 cm. shady places the color will be more saturated, although not as bright. The bush is symmetrical and does not fall apart. S-M 
2002 - Guacamole. Large, almost round, shiny green leaves with a bright yellow center, leaf size 21x28 cm. Requires light, but when exposed to direct sunlight, the leaf turns whitish. Large fragrant flowers. M-L.
2003 - Regal Splendor. In Russian translation, the name means Royal Splendor. A truly powerful vase-shaped hosta. Strong, pointed grayish-blue leaves with a cream border, 18x28 cm, resistant to bright sun, successfully resists slugs and snails. Powerful flower stalks up to 1.5 meters in height. L 
2004 - Sum and Substance. One of the most popular varieties, whose beauty is best demonstrated when grown in sunny areas. Huge chartreuse (yellow-green) leaves measuring 38x45 cm gradually turn golden yellow. The plant is decorated with lavender flowers, which contrast favorably with the leaves. L
2005 - Striptease. Oval-elongated leaves measuring 16x21 cm. One of the first three-color varieties: the chartreuse center of the leaf is separated from the rich green border by a narrow strip of white color (strip). M 
2006 - Stained Glass. Wide oval matte golden-yellow leaves with an irregular wide dark green border, 18x26 cm in size. Needs a fairly bright place. M - L 
2007 - Paradigm. Wide, initially chartreuse-green leaves turn yellow, retaining a wide bluish-green stripe, leaf size is 22x27 cm. Two to three hours of sun a day are enough for the color to develop. It is growing rapidly. The variety is resistant to snails. M - L
2008 - Blue Mouse Ears. Miniature blue hosta. The leaves are almost round, 5x6 cm, very thick and elastic. Prefers diffused light. An ideal plant for rocky hills and gardens, as well as containers. Min
2009 - Earth Angel. A wonderful variety with thick bluish-green leaves surrounded by a wide irregular yellow border, with flashes extending to the middle of the leaf, size 23x30 cm. Requires several hours of sun a day. An excellent variety for tapeworm for many years. VL
2010 - First Frost. Over the course of the season, the blue color of the medium-sized leaves changes to green, and the initially creamy yellow border becomes white. Leaves size 11x17 cm. Resistant to slugs and snails. S-M
Once upon a time, 7-8 years ago, when I had just taken up gardening and was enthusiastically meeting new people (that is, almost everyone) ornamental plants, I wanted to collect a collection of hosts. It seems to me that many new gardeners are fascinated by the idea of a collection, and many of those many are hostas. Naive guy...
Then I became acquainted with the works of Beth Shatto. In one of them she wrote that even if you crack it, you still won’t be able to collect all the hosts; it’s a useless and pointless activity. And not only because the number of varieties goes beyond all reasonable limits. New products often differ little from existing varieties, and you can bet your life trying to find the differences.
Then I got acquainted with the National Hosta Collection of Holland in the Trompenburg Arboretum, and realized that even in a scientific collection of this level, confusion is a common occurrence. I realized it when I looked at the photographs of the varieties.
Then I met the host garden of Hille Hoppmann-Hauke. His owner told me how much effort it took her to keep her collection of hostas in order (and she had a separate collection of miniatures). The story of why she donated her collection to the host garden at Oldenburg Castle can be read on Gardener. And here are the photos of it beautiful garden back in the days when the host collection was with him:
In general, over time, my desire to collect hosts has cooled. First I switched to grains, . However, I also have hosts. For purely utilitarian reasons, most varieties are in sizes XL and XXL - they help me in a very nice way to reduce the weeding area at my dacha near Moscow:
For host lovers, I’ll post some useful links here.
The best hosts
I have a desire to acquire the best hosta varieties. I have some ideas about the design of my garden and the combination of plants with each other, and I can’t do without hostas. The best hosts in my opinion are large and growing quickly. And I also consider the most popular hosts to be the best: there are other reasons to love them - for example, for the beauty of a single sheet or originality - Great Expectations and Tattoo. These varieties have already been tested, many have them, and the experience of the owners is very important to me. The hosta seller himself dissuaded me from buying Tattoo hosta, however, his “not recommended” list included many well-known varieties: Gold Standard (an old variety, there are similar ones, but better, and in general “chameleons” are out of fashion), Blue Cadet (not new and too small), Pizzazz (supposedly does not show the promised beauty), Christmas Tree (same thing), and some other varieties from a specific delivery, because... they may be infected with viruses.
Very valuable material is the Websad photo database. In addition to wonderful photographs, I found information about the “hosts of the year”, of which I have Patriot, Striptease, Sum and Substance. They are also my favorites, regardless of the official rating, and I want more hosts like them. I have a question: if different varieties The hostas are derived from a common parent, does this mean that these hostas have a similar leaf shape and therefore combine well with each other? For example, Striptease and Moonlight are from Gold Standard, are they similar in appearance? I have “relatives” Patriot and Francee - well, they are exactly the same, except for the width of the border, although the latter grows much more actively. But the Patriot sport - Fire and Ice is much smaller in size and more shaggy. I want to find the variety "Patriot in reverse", i.e. a medium-sized hosta with a light center and a dark green border - would Revolution suit this role? I also need advice on strains similar to Sum and Substance. I know it's called "Golden Sieboldiana", but Hosta Sieboldiana is more suitable for shade, and I want the same monumental hosta for a well-lit area. In general, I want to collect more “relatives” of rating hosts, just not a small thing like Fire and Ice.
Where can I see data about the “hosts of the year”? I spent several evenings on http://www.hostalibrary.org/index.html, translating for myself information about the varieties that I already have. I read several topics about hosts in the archive, I will continue my reading in my free time - there is a lot of information. You need to study such sources for a very long time in order to understand what Classics exist in the field of hosts, what of this I need, and what I definitely don’t. Sieboldians are of course wonderful, I have Elegans, I recently bought Great Expectations, I know that it’s problematic, but it’s painfully good. Please suggest others beautiful varieties Sieboldians with a light center and preferably large.
Thank you.
| Moscow |
| 18.01.2007 |
| 05:37:26 |
