Hostas
Hosta expert Jim Crowder from Memphis Botanic Garden talks about basic hosta care and shows a few varieties. All hostas prefer shade. They can also tolerate extremely dry shade. They can be planted next to a large tree - that would out-compete many other plants - and do well.
There are a lot of variation in hostas. Some are small, others large. There are a wide range of leaf colors and flower colors. There are over 4000 named cultivars of hostas. Jim shows some of his favorite cultivars: ‘designer genes’ which has a red petiole, ‘Hadspen Blue’ has leaves that have a steel blue color, ‘high society’ has yellow variegation in the center of the leaf and does not fade, ‘remember me’ is another variegated hosta with a yellow leaf center, ‘curly fries’ has long slender wavy leaves that start out yellow and turn green through the season, ‘ivory coast’ is a taller hosta with lighter variegation, and ‘Empress Wu’ which grows four feet high and eight feet wide. Many hostas sport unique-to-the-plant features like white leaves or unique variegation patterns.
One of the biggest problems with hostas is voles. They will tunnel under mulch or travel in unused mole tunnels and devour the roots and crown of hostas. Voles don’t like to be in the open so avoid using mulch. Hostas are relatively disease free.
A few years ago there was a disease called virus X that caused changes to the plant like corrugated leaves or streaks or ripples in color of the leaves. Virus X is only transmitted by man. A hosta that is infected can be removed and a new hosta planted in its place without transmitting the disease. Hostas grow and spread by growing pups. Some hosta varieties do not pup quickly. You can encourage this by rossizing the hosta.
Related Videos:
Dividing and Potting Hostas
Rossizing Hostas
Vole Proofing and Planting Hostas
Related Resources:
Hosta
Hostas
A Host of Hostas
There are a lot of variation in hostas. Some are small, others large. There are a wide range of leaf colors and flower colors. There are over 4000 named cultivars of hostas. Jim shows some of his favorite cultivars: ‘designer genes’ which has a red petiole, ‘Hadspen Blue’ has leaves that have a steel blue color, ‘high society’ has yellow variegation in the center of the leaf and does not fade, ‘remember me’ is another variegated hosta with a yellow leaf center, ‘curly fries’ has long slender wavy leaves that start out yellow and turn green through the season, ‘ivory coast’ is a taller hosta with lighter variegation, and ‘Empress Wu’ which grows four feet high and eight feet wide. Many hostas sport unique-to-the-plant features like white leaves or unique variegation patterns.
One of the biggest problems with hostas is voles. They will tunnel under mulch or travel in unused mole tunnels and devour the roots and crown of hostas. Voles don’t like to be in the open so avoid using mulch. Hostas are relatively disease free.
A few years ago there was a disease called virus X that caused changes to the plant like corrugated leaves or streaks or ripples in color of the leaves. Virus X is only transmitted by man. A hosta that is infected can be removed and a new hosta planted in its place without transmitting the disease. Hostas grow and spread by growing pups. Some hosta varieties do not pup quickly. You can encourage this by rossizing the hosta.
Related Videos:
Dividing and Potting Hostas
Rossizing Hostas
Vole Proofing and Planting Hostas
Related Resources:
Hosta
Hostas
A Host of Hostas