I got this small, unlabelled hosta in 2007 so these pictures are of it as a 2 yr. old plant. Quite small, pale
green (almost yellow) center, creamy wavy margins. The leaf at the top is most representative of its features.
I don't recall what color the flowers were or even if it did flower last year. Can you tell me what variety it is?
Thanks for any leads you can give me. I really like the color, the wavy, cream-colored edges and even the small size.
I've also posted this on Garden Web's Hosta Forum but have only gotten one response thus far.
I don't really know why, but it reminds me of a very young start of Joshua's Banner. Mine took years to grow, and it is still only one eye, but I seem to remember it looking kind of like that when I first got it.
IF it is PT, it would have to be planted in shade and not see much, if any, direct sun. My PTs get a fair bit of sun and by the end of June the leaves are mostly a very pale green, almost yellow, with a white variegation. This shot was taken August 7th if I'm not mistaken and for PT I would have expected to see paler leaves. Plus, PT grows like a weed, it sure shows its family traits in that regard and if it is the 2nd year in the garden for this one I would have expected to see more eyes and certainly it would have flowered. It also shows a bit too much waviness on the leaves for PT IMHO, plus Tiara leaves tend to be broader, not as ovate as these show.
Immature Joshua's Banner...possible - it does resemble the 1st photo in the Hosta Library
Platinum Tiara? - I don't think so..my PT's leaves are much more "heart" shaped than these more lance-like leaves.
The colors are "spot-on" though!
Hello
Shade fanfare? Looks like mine although just a guess. There was a lot of shade fanfare on the market in 2007. If the plant was purchased from a big box store or a nursery that usually carries just the basics I would way heavy on this. The plant took a few years to develope, but now seems to have a root system and growth. I really like the plant ,it sits by itself in a "field" of Halycon. A word of caution; if it is shade fanfare the background goes back to the "dutch". Mine looks perfectly healthy but I have learned that does'nt mean anything. Later
I would lean towards 'Fresh". Here's a pic of mine at 4 years old. I planted it out in the sun in my growing area for the first 2 years, and it grew like a weed there. I happen to think that it's a much-overlooked small hosta.
Linda P
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And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.....
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Char,
Where did you purchase the plant? Here is the basis for my educated guess; in our area and possibly the whole U. S. there are four or five major hosta suppliers. In 2007 one of the few and most common; if not the only hosta on the market; chartreuse w/ a white edge was shade fanfare. I also picked up a young plant identical to yours in 2007, based on how it has developed and only evaluating the largest most mature leaf in you're pictures that leads me to shade fanfare. It did take a few years for the leaves to show corrugation and their potential size, and was slow to establish. It appears you're large leaf is showing corrugation? However in the harvesting of these plants it is possible for the grower; depending on ethics, to pick up something off the wall; have to leave the guess open until maturity. I did check out shade fanfare and the other nominees at the library, given all the variables at the library and the source of the plant this may help: the margin is somewhat WIDE along the ENTIRE leaf, also a subtle TWIST or RIPPLE, SIZE and SHAPE of leaf, and CORRUGATION ( traits of you'res and shade fanfare). You have slow growth and immature leaves, maybe when it flowers and matures you can keep all this in the back of you're mind.(mine did not flower until last fall-even w/ blossom booster). It will also in our climate, lose the chartruese to green or fade late in the season. I really feel based upon the leaves in the picture, the largest one is only half it's mature size, the clue there is the one larger leaf. We are also both "cheeseheads", further narrowing down the name of the hosta, based on the market. There is still the possibility based on all the small operations bringing hosta to market it could be something else. The place of purchase will really help the process of elimination, after all; that is really how a "detective" comes to a conclusion. I am just trying to help based upon facts and process of elimination. I do realize neither yourself or others are "rookies " to hosta so no pun intended! A plant w/o a name is just another hosta.? Perhaps for now you could call it the "Headless Horseman" since it has not flowered.
I got this hosta from a Madison hosta grower by the name of Tom Riddle I was loading up my trunk with all my hosta purchases and his wife came running out to the car with this little hosta and gave it to me. She said she didn't know what it was...they must have lost track of the tag. They usually grew their plants from liners they got from the bigger wholesale nurseries.
I have Shade Fanfare also. The leaves on the mystery hosta are so much more straplike (narrow). Could they really widen out that much to obtain a heart shape leaf?
Char,
I don't believe you're shade fanfare is true, before I even looked at the library; fragrant bouqet. Go check it out. You are correct on the observation of leaves, one is heart (fragrant bouqet) and the other (shade fanfare) is more elongated when immature, when the leaves of shade fanfare get closer to maturity it will be somewhere in the middle. I am having serious doubts about Mr. Riddle if that is where you're labeled shade fanfare came from. I jogged my memory on the tissue culture sources for 2006-2007, I went back one year because you're plant would appear to be a 1 yr. old tissue culture, if tissue culture at all. I really don't think there was a tissue culture available similar to you're plant. I have some very good friends in Madison, I also attended several college parties there. Madison w/o a doubt is one of the best cities in the U.S. (stats show that). I have a gut feeling about Mr. Riddle I will post after I here back. Later,
Char,
I will leave well enough alone. Perhaps this is what aggrevated the thorn in my side: I follow all the rules and back up my plants by true identity and their growth rates, and habits from experience. It's a lot of paperwork & frustration. I have experienced people falsifying names just so they had the plant to sell, knowing full well that the plants were immature enough not to be able to tell the difference. It is very common to receive a "gift" plant when purchasing hosta. I have found these vendors at the big box stores purchasing inexpensive plants. The plants are brought home, divided and given away as the "gift" plant. The results are only one tag to work with, something to think about. The plants from the "Big Box" are riddled w/ virus, some taking 2-3 yrs. to develope.
In all reality this is what it comes down to: the crusade against hosta Virus X cannot be stopped by infiltrating unknown plants and sources.
An outbreak in you're collection is not a question of IF, it is WHEN. At that time does the free "gift" still hold value? Do resources still have defense when this happens?
Hosta are for enjoyment and are suppose to be the friendship plant, Virus X has disheartenly ruined those aspects. Experience is precious and free! Something else to consider. On a happy note, hosta being the "friendship" plant I am only offering "friendship". Later,
Mockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
Madison w/o a doubt is one of the best cities in the U.S. (stats show that). I have a gut feeling about Mr. Riddle 
I will post after I here back. Later,
I have no issues with Tom.
possibly House of Hosta in Green Bay
