Frequently Asked Hosta Questions
Hostas were originally from Korea, Japan and eastern China. They naturally evolved
and grew in open fields, moist meadows, rocky mountain slopes, in forests and
shady mountain woods. They often evolved in maritime climates that were surrounded
by oceans that caused cooler, damper and cloudier conditions. On the main islands
of Japan, the annual precipitation is 62 inches. By comparison, Northeastern
and Midwestern United States only receive from 20 to 40 inches of rainfall.
The first hosta seed to actually reach the western world (to Paris) was H. plantagenia
sometime between 1784 and 1789. The first major shipment of hostas to reach
America directly from Japan was organized by Thomas Hogg, Jr., a man named U.
S. Marshall by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. In Japan, new species and varieties
are still being discovered
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Hostas are hardy in U.S.D.A. Zones 3 to 9. That generally means hostas will
grow from Canada to northern Florida. Hostas need to go dormant for at least
40 days where the temperature will remain near or drop to 40º F. In northern
climates, all hosta varieties will thrive. In the south, where the summer heat
is more intense and lasts for longer periods of time, some varieties will not
perform well, especially hostas with H. sieboldiana and H. 'Tokudama' in their
parentage. For more info, see
Growing Zones
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God only knows. In nature there are approximately 40 recognized species (the
number is up for debate by scientists) of hostas that evolved in Japan, eastern
China and South Korea. Japan is on the 45th parallel, the same latitude as HostasDirect,
which may explain why hostas do so well in Minnesota. The original 40 hostas
are referred to as species hostas, and are designated by the spelling of their
first name with a lowercase letter. (i.e. plantagenia) Plants that are cultivars
are designated with a capital letters, which means that they are offspring
of a species plants.
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This is a rather complicated subject that we will not get into all of the details
about here. In general, there are two names used to identify hostas. The first
part (H.) is to identify the genus, Hostas, and the second to identify the specific
variety. Hostas that are recognized as one of the original 40 or so “species”
plants from Asia are begin with a lowercase letter. As an example, H. plantagenia.
A hosta that is not a species plant is identified with a capital letter (H.
'Christmas Tree.') The hybridizers that have worked for often 7 years or more
to develop one new hosta have the honor of naming their plant with the hosta
registrar.
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This also can be a rather complicated and controversial subject. In general,
it means “cultivated variety,” a plant that was developed in cultivation
and not in the wild like a species plant. This word is often interchanged with
the word “variety” or clone.
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We would say that until the late 1980’s there were primarily five common hostas
in the Twin Cities before the use of tissue culture propagation: undulata albomarginata,
undulata veriegata, lancifolia, undulata erromenia, and plantagenia. These varieties
are fast-growing and multipliers. However, they have thinner leaves that can
attract slugs and are not nearly as beautiful or unique as some of the new hybrids
now available.
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Before tissue culture propagation, hostas were divided into individual plants
and planted. After some new crowns grew, crowns were cut off and planted again
and again. A very slow way to propagate hostas but the only way that existed
until tissue culture propagation.
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Tissue culture propagation, also known as micro propagation, is a way of dividing
cells and mass producing the mother plant. Cells are taken from the meristematic
tissue. For hostas, this is most often in a shoot tip. This tissue is then grown
in growing auger in a test tube under sterile conditions in a laboratory. Temperature,
lighting and feeding are manipulated to help these cells grow into tiny plants,
which are further grown to resemble the parent plant. Tissue culture propagation
has changed the hosta world because it does not take as long to introduce a
new hosta cultivar to the public and prices of new plants have dropped. Thus,
one plant can literally yield thousands of offspring. However, some hostas are
not possible to reproduce using tissue culture. And, not all tissue culture
reproduce exactly as the parent plant. The growers of the tissue culture must
do something called “culling.” Culling is the process of looking at each plant
to see if it matches the mother plant. If it does not, the plant may be “culled”
and thrown away.
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Hostas produce much seed. However, it is most unlikely that any seedling will
have more than a passing resemblance to the seed or pod parent, nor any particular
appeal of its own. Not all hostas produce fertile seed and not all seed in any
one pod is necessarily fertile.
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It takes at least five years or more before a hosta variety can be considered
ready for registering.
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When plants bloom, bees may cross-pollinate with other varieties of hostas.
When the hostas seeds fall off, a new variety may grow that is different from
any other variety.
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Humans can take paintbrushes, remove the pollen and store it in a refrigerator
until the other plant is receptive to it, and then it can be cross-pollinated
creating seed that will yield a different plant. As some hostas bloom at different
times of the year, their pollen will not come into contact with other plants.
A hybridizer may plant 4,000 seeds. From the 4,000 plants he may throw away
3,600 the first year, another 350 the second year, another 45 the third year,
and actually only consider 5 plants out of the 4,000 as new possibilities. Then,
these plants have to prove stable, be different than any other cultivar that
is registered, and have characteristics that make it marketable. It is time
consuming and laborious. None the less, there are many hybridizers that we can
thank for doing all of this time consuming and detailed work. The hybridizer
gets to name the plant. The
HostaSearchTM Database has the names of the people involved with hybridizing
existing hostas. In addition, there may also be corresponding information about
the Pod Parent, Pollen Parent, what plant the hosta is a sport of, and the year
the hosta was registered.
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Dedicated, hardworking hybridizers continue to develop plants with new postive
traits. Examples include: thicker leaves for slug resistance, faster growth
rates, more textures, new leaf shapes, color variations in the leaves, new forms
and sizes, bluer blues, golder golds, fragrance, and colorful petioles. The
advantage to buying tissue culture is you get the new varieties before they
are widely available.
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A sport is a shoot off a plant that is different from the original plant. Different
mechanisms may explain the appearance of sports: Chimeral rearrangements (where
cells move between layers), Mutations (changes in the DNA), Mitotic recombinations
(exchanges in the chromosomes). By far the most common type of mutation occurs
when the chlorophyll changes or mutates into another form, creating a leaf with
different foliage color than the mother plant.
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Many hostas do not need to be divided. If needed, they can be divided every
5 to 20 years. It depends on the cultivar. Learn about
dividing
hostas.
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The first plant imported to Europe in the mid 1800’s from China, plantagenia,
is the mother “species” plant that fosters outstanding fragrance and beauty.
Plantagenia’s offspring are also spectacular hostas having beautiful, fragrant
blooms in August in Minnesota. Hostas with plantagenia parentage also grow the
best of all of the hostas in the heat of the south. These plantagenia offspring
can be found at the
HostaSearch™ Database.
Unfortunately, deer love fragrant hostas due to their apparent sweet taste.
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Some hostas start the season with bright yellow leaves that will turn green
by summer - a process called viridescence. Some hostas start out green and turn
yellow – a process called lutescence. In some variegated hostas, margins or
centers that start the season yellow will change to bright or creamy white by
the end of the year – a process called albescence. You can find hostas with
this seasonal color change using the
HostaSearch™ Database.
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Some have been concerned that the Best Value TC you purchased are not blue upon arrival. Some varieties secrete a wax that makes the green leaf turn a bluish or gray color. The term used in horticulture for this blue color is called a “glaucous bloom.” Each year until the hosta is about 3 to 5 years old, the hosta emits more wax, making it even bluer. Some blue varieties emit more wax in early spring, some later in the summer. Your hosta will turn blue with some more time. It is best to keep these hostas out of direct afternoon sun so the wax will not melt off.
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You should discontinue fertilizing around July 30 so the plants can slow down and go into winter dormancy. Do not purchase temperature released fertilizers that continue to release beyond this date.
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In most climates I would say yes. Just keep the hostas moist. If it is sunny outside don’t water on top of the leaves as the water can magnify the sun and hurt the leaves – just like a magnifying glass. If you water during the afternoon on a sunny day, water around the roots with a watering wand. Check with the experts in your local hosta society regarding any concerns you have when you can plant in your area. Consider sun-resistant hostas.
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Many are beautiful and even fragrant. You can cut them off before they bloom or after they bloom. Letting them go until they form seed pods take energy from the hosta.
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Sun-resistant means these varieties are less likely to burn in the heat of the summer in full sun. Of course they must be still watered.
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This growing condition requires a hosta with more cholorphyl in it as seen in dark green leaves or blue hostas. All hostas need some light or they begin to slowly shrink.
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