Hosta Ice Age Trail

Quiet Storm · Post by **Quiet Storm** » Jul 20, 2007 2:41 pm

Hi All,

Does anyone have H. Ice Age Trail? A friend of mine bought it from a local nursery here in Eastern MA, and it is beautiful. My problem is that most of the local nurseries here say they know nothing about HVX, and I am reluctant to buy from them.

Chris, will Hallson be offering Ice Age Trail anytime soon?

P.S. I love the hostas I purchased from Hallson this year -- Love Pat and June, and my bonus Sleeping Beauty.

twoblackdogs · Post by **twoblackdogs** » Jul 20, 2007 3:27 pm

I have it. I have 2 actually. One I got last year at my local place's last Sat in Aug 40% off sale and my boys got me another this year for mothers day. It's certainly not a fast growing hosta - no super new flush of leaves like others have, but it is cool. I saw one at somebody's garden at the Indy convention that was huge - so gives me hope that one day mine will be like that. It's a sport of Big Daddy I think and Big Daddy for me is a S L O W grower.

Post by **Chris_W** » Jul 20, 2007 3:53 pm

Hi Gloria,

We have them, but we don't sell them by mail since I would rather have people pick out streaked plants in person.

We have 2 versions of it, really. One has a lot of blue with some very light streaks to it, and this version grows great. Personally I prefer these lightly streaked plants. Then we have others with a lot more cream streaking, but the more cream you add, the slower and slower they grow. Most people who see them in person want the dramatic color, but I don't recommend the ones that are almost completely cream streaked. The completely middle variegated version is called Sugar Mama and they are slow to non-existent

I believe that Ice Age Trail were only produced by Q & Z, and I would trust their plants. If you saw a lot of HVX infected plants at any of the nurseries you go to I would be leary, but otherwise I think this is a relatively safe plant to buy.

nanny_56 · Post by **nanny_56** » Jul 20, 2007 4:23 pm

Oh, I wish you offered the one with blue through the mail!!!

Claudia

Quiet Storm · Post by **Quiet Storm** » Jul 20, 2007 4:37 pm

Thanks for the info Chris. I do wish you sold them through the mail, as I don't envision getting to visit in person anytime in the near future.

I contacted Q & Z, and they were able to give me the name of the one nursery in MA that has purchased Ice Age Trail for resale. I have a call in to that nursery to make sure they still have it in stock before I make the trip. Still trying to reach my friend to find out where he purchased his. He said he plans to divide it in the fall, but he just got it, and if it is as slow growing as I've read, it won't be ready for dividing in the fall.

Jamie · Post by **Jamie** » Jul 20, 2007 5:59 pm

Chris,
Do you call yours Ice Age Trail or Sugar Mama? I see both are a streaked Big Daddy and Zilis's name is listed on the registration for both.

Sugar Mama: TC Sport
Hosta ‘Sugar Mama’ 2004
Registrant: M. Zilis Introducer: M. Zilis
Originator: M. Zilis Nominant: M. Vanous

Ice Age Trail: OS Sport
Hosta ‘Ice Age Trail’ 2003
Registrant: M. Zilis Introducer: Wisconsin Hosta Society
Originator: M. Zilis Nominant: Wisconsin Hosta Society

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Jul 20, 2007 9:33 pm

I bought my Ice Age Trail last summer at the Hallson get-to-gether in august. I love it, but I have to admit, it's a slow grower. Still only one eye, and I can't wait for it to get more corruagation and cupping.

Don't mind the weeds, and spring bulb die back. It looks better without that mess

Quiet Storm · Post by **Quiet Storm** » Jul 20, 2007 9:36 pm

What a beautiful plant. I can't wait to get one of my own.

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Jul 20, 2007 9:46 pm

Jane...we must have bought the same plants at Hallson's last year! First Lilies and now Hostas!

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Jul 20, 2007 10:07 pm

I bought my IAT last year at Hallson's too! But I have to get a picture later, and I think mine is 2 eyes ....not sure....

I love mine, too!!

Nice pictures!!

addieotto · Post by **addieotto** » Jul 20, 2007 10:47 pm

I really love my Ice Age Trail. It's one of the plants I can just sit and stare at.

This was from earlier in the season and it's the second year in the garden. I am sure I've posted this photo before but I love it. Color keeps getting richer as the summer goes on.

I bought mine by mail. Go get yourself one soon!

Sue

Hank Zumach · Post by **Hank Zumach** » Jul 20, 2007 10:51 pm

Hi--Here is the Ice Age Trail we got at the midwest convention a few years ago. It has some odd shaped leaves because it was sprayed with a herbicide in the spring of 2006 and is still recovering.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Jul 20, 2007 11:10 pm

They certainly are all quite different, aren't they?

Hank, I'm surprised yours made it, although I accidently did that to a lily that has come back, but very small this year! I was shocked when it came up this year. Not sure it will bloom, but it's there! I'll keep my fingers crossed that both our plants make a complete recovery.

I still can't believe someone was so slimy to do that to your beautiful collection

hostaanita · Post by **hostaanita** » Jul 21, 2007 12:02 am

My Ice Age Trail is like Sue's ...blue with streaks. It survived being moved to a temporary holding area last summer and is recovering!

Hank Zumach · Post by **Hank Zumach** » Jul 21, 2007 12:15 pm

Jane--I had two Ice Age Trails. There other one did not survive. I assume the reason some plants died, while others were only damaged, has to do with the amount of the herbicide applied to a particular plant. We have a lot of plants that came back this spring but are much smaller than they should be. We had some plants emerge this spring with a few leaves but have now died so the process is still playing out.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Jul 21, 2007 10:53 pm

Oh dear. I didn't realize you were still experiencing losses from it! Sorry to hear that! Dang, I wish you could have found out who and prosecuted them! They deserved some long time for that destruction!

myskyblue2 · Post by **myskyblue2** » Jul 21, 2007 11:10 pm

I LOVE my Ice Age Trail. Mine was a gift from a very dear friend 2 summers ago. I have to say, It is slow but steady. This year it has grown allot!. It was 2 tiny leaves when I received it,,, and I was thrilled to have it!!, Boy, the big ideas when you get a tiny hosta, and you get to watch it grow into a big hosta!

Last summer I did amend the soil heavily with rich compost. Nice stuff from a local landscape center. And only $8.00 a yard for that good black gold!!
It seems to be the trick

buff24 · Post by **buff24** » Jul 22, 2007 3:46 pm

I love my Ice Age Trail! I know it's supposedly a slow grower, but mine has actually grown pretty well (so far, anyway.) I got it last year at Hosta College, it was just 2 eyes barely emerging when I got it.

Once the 2 eyes emerged, it looked like this last year:

This year IAT looks like this:

Also, it set MANY seed pods for me, which I'm very excited about.

Quiet Storm · Post by **Quiet Storm** » Aug 02, 2007 1:39 pm

Thanks everyone for posting your IAT photos. After not being able to find it in my area, I managed to get three of them from three different sources. The one from Hallson is far and away the best of the bunch -- and my bonus Hadspen Blue is fabulous.

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Aug 02, 2007 2:55 pm

Here's mine...I didn't really want to post it, cuz with the year we have had, some of the leaves look pretty bad. It is partly due to shipping damage, as I got it mail order, but what I wanted to show is the color and that it has put on 5 new leaves since April 20 when I got it. It is still in the 4" pot I received it in (shame on me!), but it has gotten Milorganite.

It sure is perty!!!!