Daily Hosta #1 - 'Fujibotan' - Add your pics

[ViolaAnn]

Name: H. 'Fujibotan'

Description: The only double-flowered lavender Hosta in the world! Heart-shaped, glossy, green leaves. Beautifully shaped and sweetly fragrant.
Size: Medium
Origin: H. ‘Fujibotan’ was collected on Mt. Fuji several years ago by Japanese plantsman Kenji Watanabe for his Gotemba Nursery.
Flowers: exquisite, double, lavender, with a nicely symmetrical pattern on dramatic 4-foot scapes. In midsummer, 50 or more 1½-inch blooms can arise on each scape.
Added to garden: spring 2006

Registry - not registered as of Nov. 2012
MyHostas - http://myhostas.be/db/hostas/Fuji+Botan
Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/f/fujibotan.html

I divided mine in 2011. Had a difficult time getting it divided and dropped the clump upside down during the process which broke or damaged several eyes. I know - abuse of hostas! Anyway, I expect it to look better next year.

'Fujibotan' - Aug. 3

'Fujibotan' Aug 11 a few years ago

'Fujibotan' Aug 11 a few years ago

'Fujibotan' Aug 10 - 2 years ago

[Chris_W]

This one really is nice when it gets mature. The clump can get 2 to 3 feet wide and will have tons of bloom stalks that can get over 3 feet tall. Unfortunately there are also some plants out there with a genetic problem where the flower buds never open. If you have one of those it is a dud, I'm afraid. I had yet another one in this year's crop too, after weeding a couple out last summer, so I'm going to try and only grow these from division from now on. Great flowers though, when you have a correct one

[redcrx]

I picked up a couple this year and one had flowers that didn't open properly. I though it might be the shock of transport but now I will have to pay more attention since it may be a "dud" - didn't think to get pictures and ask about it.

[redcrx]

Didn't get any plant shots this season just a few flower pictures.

Fujibotan 7/25/2011

Fujibotan 7/25/2011

[redcrx]

Ann and Chris - do the flowers have a dark stripe on them?

[ViolaAnn]

Mine don't - just a pale lavender.

[ViolaAnn]

Mine recovered from the abuse I subjected it to when I tried to divide it last year and dropped it on emerging eyes. Bloomed nicely for me this year.

'Fujibotan' leaf June 19, 2012

'Fujibotan', July 22, 2012

[redcrx]

Here is mine. (This was posted in an earlier topic.)

Fujibotan - July 23, 2012

[ViolaAnn]

2014 - it's doing very well for me this year.

[Tigger]

Mine is new to us this year, and while it set prolific buds, none of them opened

Ann, you note in the description that the flowers are fragrant. Are you sure? I didn't think there were any fragrant Japanese hostas.

David

[ViolaAnn]

David - I am going to edit that. I don't think mine are fragrant. Probably came from a description I found somewhere on-line.

[Chris_W]

I hadn't heard anything about them being fragrant before but I think mine are open now so I'll check.

David, there were some plants of Fujibotan that simply never open and I think it is a genetic problem with some in tissue culture. When we had our last TC plants of Fujibotan years ago there were about 10 to 20% in the batch that did not open. The rest were fine so we tried to only sell those that we saw had opened (the first round I don't think I realized there was a problem, so may have sold some that didn't open...). I separated out one plant that opened and another that didn't and watched them growing side by side for years. Each year the one never opened and the other did every single time. Same conditions resulted in the same thing with each plant so that's why I think it is genetic. They both got really large and eventually I divided up the one that opened, keeping one single eye for myself and that one just opened recently. Hopefully one day I can offer some again.

Chris

[ViolaAnn]

2015 - Aug. 13. I think this is one of the best solid green hostas out there. It always looks good and the slugs don't bother it too much. Plus it's got those lovely double flowers.

[Tigger]

Well, my flowers were a bust again this year, so it seems I got a dud. Will have to wait for Chris to offer it, or find a source where I can buy it in bloom.

David

[ViolaAnn]

If there weren't an international border between us I'd sent you a division.

[redcrx]

My big one never opens its flowers. Two others that do open got mauled by voles so I haven't seen good flowers in a couple of years.

[ViolaAnn]

2016 update - doing well.

July 23, 2016

[redcrx]

I have had a huge cluster of this plant in the front lawn garden for years. Sadly it is the one with the genetic defect that stops the flowers from opening. I took it out this season and planted a good one I got from Chris and it is coming along.

Fujibotan - August 4, 2017

Fujibotan - August 4, 2017

Fujibotan - August 4, 2017

[ViolaAnn]

What should be the correct spelling for this one?

I've seen it as titled here 'Fujibotan'.

I've also seen it as 'Fuji-botan' and as Fuji Botan'. Does anyone know what is really correct? It's not registered, or wasn't the last time I looked.

[DelawareDonna]

This is a very nice hosta