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are so beloved and how to overcome any
challenges.
The hybridizer view
Hostas are an industry unto
themselves—larger than for almost
any other plant genus—and, over the
past few decades, hybridizers have
given us thousands of cultivars. (There
are as many as 7,000 named hostas,
although only about 4,000 are properly
registered.) To be registered, a cultivar
must be unlike others, although it
takes some learning to notice the fine
differences. Look for the plants’ sizes and
shapes, leaf tones and patterns, wavy
and straight edges, corrugated or smooth
textures, flower colors, fragrance, and
time of emergence and flowering. Having
attended hosta lectures, shows, and
auctions for many years, I had the idea
that this vigorous hybridization and
improvement trend would continue in
the same way. The newest hostas would
have ever-better slug resistance, heat
tolerance, new colors for stems and
flowers, and “best/new/hottest” would
continue to flood the market. Right?
Not so fast. There have been
major changes in the production and
marketing of hostas. Industry leader
Bob Solberg has been selling hostas
for thirty-six years and has introduced
more than fifty hostas to the world
market (Green Hill Farm, Franklinton,
North Carolina). According to Solberg,
several businesses that used to produce
thousands of tissue-cultured hostas per
year have closed, and the number of
hostas produced for the trade has been
drastically reduced. So, we may see fewer
new cultivars each season—many of
them not tissue-cultured. Hybridization
will go on, but new discoveries will be
produced in smaller numbers and will be
more expensive.
The situation might even motivate
more hosta lovers to take up the
intriguing, fun practice of crossing. In
The Green Hill Gossip (March 2017), Bob
Solberg writes: “There are no wrong
ways to hybridize, just do it. When you
have a favorite, I would love to see a
photo.” ( HostaBob@gmail.com).
How to choose a hosta
You will not find consensus among
hosta growers or collectors about the
best hosta. Would that be a hybridizer’s
newest pet, the one that slugs never eat
in your yard, or the one Grandpa passed
down? Solberg admits to preferring little
yellow ‘Fairy Dust,’ at least for a moment.
RESOURCES
The New Encyclopedia of Hostas (Diana Grenfell and
Michael Shadrack; Timber Press, 2010, second edition)
and The Book of Little Hostas (Kathy Guest Shadrack
and Michael Shadrack; Timber Press, 2010) are available
at bookstores, online, at Plantasia, and wherever the
Shadracks can be found.
To learn more about conferences, meetings, speakers,
sales, and tours: the American Hosta Society ( hosta.org)
and WNY Hosta Society ( wnyhosta.com)
Mike Shadrack recommends ‘Sharp
Dressed Man’ and ‘Sagae,’ among others
that are readily available and affordable.
The Hosta Journal’s popularity poll
showed that most people still name
sentimental oldies as favorites, many of
which—according to experts—have been
greatly improved in subsequent offspring.
When you do go hosta shopping,
at least know your site ahead of time.
How shady or sunny is it? What are the
surrounding plants? Consider contrasting
shapes and leaf tones. What height and
width would work? Are you planting in
containers, are slugs or deer prevalent,
and how much area would you like to
cover? A good hosta collection should
show you choices: giant or petite; yellow,
blue, green, or mixtures; purple or white
flowering; and many leaf shapes and
textures. Do note the size of the mature
hosta as listed on the tag, since what you
see in the pot is not what you are buying.
After that, just try some hostas. I doubt
you’ll be sorry.
After two or three years, except during severe
droughts, hostas in this region will do fine
relying simply on rainfall.
