June question

MollyD · Post by **MollyD** » Mar 25, 2008 3:14 pm

A friend tells me there are 4 variations of June all using the same name and being acknowledged officially. Anyone know anything about this? I asked her if she meant sports of June but that wasn't it at all. She showed me the following link where 2 versions are mentioned http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/hosta-june/

Chris or anyone in the know can you help?

Thanks!
MollyD

whip1 · Post by **whip1** » Mar 25, 2008 4:04 pm

I'm not aware of any thing official, but June does have a lot of variation.

Post by **Chris_W** » Mar 25, 2008 4:08 pm

Hi,

I've never heard of 4 variations, but I have heard of there being 2 variations, with one having a brighter center.

However, in the years I've been growing I am starting to think the greater factor is differences in sunlight and temperature (different climates) causing the most variation, making it really hard to pinpoint which ones are out there.

One example: June in our growing area, where it is very shady and relatively cool, are always bright yellow in the center, especially when they are young. When we pot them up and put them in the nursery where it is quite sunny and very hot they darken considerably. If I get a chance this summer I'll take before and after pictures. People swear I'm trying to sell them a different plant than they see in the growing areas!

However, just to throw a wrench into things, consider the yellow sports of June. There are 2 distinctly different yellow sports of June under at least 3 different names. Kiwi Gold Star and English Sunrise are extremely bright yellow sports of June, presumably from a bright yellow centered plant. But Hosta 'May' is a different shade, almost a bluish, chartreuse-like yellow. This would lead me to believe it sported from a June with a more bluish, chartreuse-like yellow center. So when looking at these yellow sports of June I would have to say they might be from slightly different plants, but then again, June has several colors in there, so maybe May is a sport that has just one of those other colors instead of the center color.

P.S. - After reading over what I wrote, I don't think that helps to answer a darn thing

sugar · Post by **sugar** » Mar 25, 2008 4:44 pm

Strange, for someone 'Choosing voluntary simplicity' trying to make things complicated. June differs by the amount of sun you give the plant, that's all.

SO you can have several types of June by putting it in a pot and changing it from time to time from position

Sunny June

Not so sunny June

MollyD · Post by **MollyD** » Mar 25, 2008 4:54 pm

Chris if you could only see the expression on my face

Thanks Sugar. I'll pass that on. That's pretty much what June does in my garden.

MollyD

ViolaAnn · Post by **ViolaAnn** » Mar 25, 2008 5:21 pm

Molly, I've heard of people who have divided the same plant and grown it in two different light conditions only to have it look like two totally different plants.

However, in August of 2006, Erynne and Sanannie (or Dave's Garden) and I visited the back yard Hosta gardens of Don Budd who owns my local Hosta nursery. For those that belong to DG, the entire thread is here - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/639312/

But I copped a couple of pics - both by Sandy (Sanannie) from that site of June (with a few others ) and of one that was labelled "Type 4". Don wasn't there. His daughter just told us to go visit the garden and not worry about neighbours; so we couldn't ask him.

Here they are.

Ann

MollyD · Post by **MollyD** » Mar 25, 2008 5:24 pm

If I saw the one labelled type 4 and it had no label I would never even guess it was a June. Very different!!

MollyD

Post by **Chris_W** » Mar 25, 2008 6:19 pm

I remember that the now defunct Winterberry Farms was selling different types of June so I looked up their old website archives using the wayback machine and this is what I found:

June type 1: "normal"
June type 2: blue sheen
June type 4: wider margin
June type 6: blue sheen

I couldn't find any mention of what the other types of June might be, but I believe this was the only place that was keeping these different types going. Still, I think after seeing the blue sheen mentioned this could confirm my thoughts on Hosta 'May' being a different, bluish shade of yellow having come from one of these different types.

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 25, 2008 6:28 pm

There were a lot of talks about that some years ago and I decided to get 2 home from UK, Claimed to be the right thing, to compare with the 3 i allready had from Holland.
They can look very different as small new hostas, but take a look at the pics

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 25, 2008 6:33 pm

This is my favorite- when i got it it was tiny with hardly no border

pretty sure if i moved them clockvise from one spot to an other they would get the color for the spot- depending on light.

it can be difficult in the South

06 07 07 is writtin in Danish and mean 6. of July

Pia

MollyD · Post by **MollyD** » Mar 25, 2008 7:35 pm

Pia and Ann thank you for all the lovely pictures! Makes me want to run out and buy more Junes.

I took the liberty of writing to Kevin Walek about this question. I figured if a past AHS president and current registrar didn't know, then no one would. In answer he said there was only one registered June and basically that all others had to fit the standard that one was registered under to use the June name. I would quote him but I'm not sure of the etiquette involved here.
So I don't know what the other June's should be called but it's not June!

MollyD

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Mar 26, 2008 10:58 am

Molly, I don't believe the alleged Junes 2 and/or 3 differ more from the registered June than we've already seen Junes differing from different light exposures and times of year.

I suggest you file it as useless, arcane information, and go on to something really important like culling seedlings, or transplanting them.

MollyD · Post by **MollyD** » Mar 26, 2008 11:17 am

I'm still hanging on to all my seedlings George. I had some that were green and have suddenly sent up streaked leaves so since they aren't hurting for space I've opted to let them be so they can show me what they're made of

MollyD

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Mar 26, 2008 11:42 am

Molly, you're lucky. Those seedlings would already have been in my compost pile. Don't have the room to wait.

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Mar 26, 2008 12:33 pm

I don't have an opinion on this topic...

But I just wanted to say...."I love June!" and all your photos of her are beautiful!

Sugar, those close ups are magnificent...a beautiful representation of the girl...

ViolaAnn · Post by **ViolaAnn** » Mar 26, 2008 2:13 pm

Molly - what were the pod parents of those interesting seedlings?

Have you grown June seedlings? I have quite a few since there are, apparently, some interesting seedlings of June (Remember Me, for instance). So far they all appear green.

Ann

MollyD · Post by **MollyD** » Mar 26, 2008 3:17 pm

Ann they're from Swoosh, Marble Cream, Splish Splash and one other I can't remember at the moment.
I got the seeds from Doug Ruff. June didn't set any pods last year.

MollyD

bengal · Post by **bengal** » Mar 26, 2008 7:40 pm

There is an article in an older issue of the hosta journal on this topic. What I recall is that the author asserted there was the "original" June, i.e., the June that came into commerce in the U.S. very soon after it first became available, and there was the other June, i.e., the June available subsequently and in all recent years. (Or other Junes, so it seems.) If I recollect, the recent Junes, which is what many people have, differ from the original June due to the TC process. (Or doesn't at all, according to all you guys.

)

As you can see, my recollection ain't worth much.

For what it's worth, I think I bought my June in the year after it became available here. Pure luck, as I knew as much about hostas then as I do now.

Here's my plant...ta da, the "original" June (or not)...photographed in May I think, a couple of years ago. That site -- morning sun and quite a bit of afternoon shade.

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 26, 2008 7:58 pm

bengal..sure yours is a really June, just like mine are ?
Give it an our more light or sun ..and it will change...
One of the best and you can't get enought of them

MollyD · Post by **MollyD** » Mar 26, 2008 8:08 pm

June by any name is still a beauty! I love mine

MollyD

Hallson Gardens

June question

June question

Mountains out of molehills

green>streaked