HOSTA    Hostas are shade lovers, with handsome foliage topped by flowers on tall scapes. An attractive plant from spring until frost, they come in an increasingly wide variety of leaf colors, sizes and shapes, and some varieties are quite fragrant. They make excellent groundcovers and specimen plants and hosta leaves and flowers are great additions to any floral arrangement.  They prefer moist soil in shady conditions, but are quite tolerant of a variety of soil types, and many are tolerant of full sun where the soil is moist. The varieties with variegated foliage perform best in some shade.

Abiqua Drinking Gourd’    Blue-green, cupped leaves, heavily corrugated and thickly substanced. Near white flowers bloom on 2' scapes in June. 20"h x 45"w

‘Blue Angel’    Deep blue, heavily textured leaves measure 12" across and 16" long. Mounds grow to 2-3' high and at least that across. White flowers bloom on 4' stems. One of the very biggest blues.

‘Blue Ivory’ New     An exciting new sport of H. ‘Halcyon’ that produces medium-sized mounds with thick, spade-shaped, glaucous leaves that have a very wide, white margin. In summer, the center deepens in color creating a striking, high contrast display. An added bonus is the slug resistance afforded by the thick textured foliage. Pale lavender flowers bloom on 24” scapes in July.  Clumps mound to 16” with a 30” spread.

‘Blue Mammoth’     A huge mound of slug-resistant, blue foliage, 34ins. high x 65ins. wide., with an attractive open form, making it very effective as a specimen and background plant. Individual leaves can measure 16ins. long by 12ins. wide.

‘Blue Mouse Ears’ (miniature)    An adorable miniature hosta with thick, round, blue-green to grey-green leaves. Forms a perfectly symmetrical, 8in. mound. Clusters of lavender, bell-shaped flowers emerge from balloon-like buds.

‘Blue Umbrella’     Immense! The 4ft. clumps of shiny blue-green leaves has been recognized around the world as one of the best. Blue color in spring turning deep, dark green on the upper surface and powdery blue on the underside. Rapid growth rate. Pale lavender flowers on 32in. scapes in June.

‘Brother Stefan’ New    A favorite of hosta enthusiasts! Forms a large clump of thick, heavily corrugated, puckered leaves. Spring leaves are chartreuse with a blue margin. Mature leaves are gold with a green margin. 20ins. A large hosta, 24ins. high. Blooms early summer with near-white flowers.

‘Cat’s Eye’ (miniature) New     Creamy white leaves edged with a green margin and tiny lavender flowers in July. Very cute and distinctive. 6” high.    

‘Corkscrew’ New     Glossy, narrow, twisted and contorted leaves similar to H. ‘Praying Hands’ but even more exaggerated. Foliage mounds to 9” and 20” scapes carry lavender flowers in Sept.

‘Dawn’s Early Light’ New     Brilliant lemon yellow leaves are corrugated and ruffled, gradually becoming chartreuse as summer wears on. One of the brightest golden yellow forms yet and, the leaves do not scorch. Develops a foliage mound 2’ high by 3’ wide with 30” flower scapes with lavender flowers in summer.

‘Earth Angel’ New  The first large, blue-leaved hosta to boast white margins! This is a wonderfully variegated form whose large, blue, heart-shaped leaves are generously edged with a wide creamy-white border. This is a large hosta with foliage mounding to 3’ with a 4-5’ width. 4’ scapes carry white flowers in summer. 

‘Fireworks’ New    A small sport of 'Loyalist'. Narrow, stiff, upright foliage with deep green margins and creamy white centers. Light lavender flowers in summer. 10ins. high by 12ins. wide.

‘First Mate’     A tetraploid sport of 'Kabitan' with improved vigor, more pronounced variegation, and a more upright habit. Long, narrow leaves have dark green, heavily rippled margins and a gold center that lightens to cream. Small, only 10ins. high by 24ins. wide. Lavender flowers in summer.

‘Frosted Mouse Ears’ (miniature) New     The long awaited sport of ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ with tiny, round, blue-green leaves with a broad white border. 7” tall by 12” wide. Short scapes carry lavender flowers in summer.

‘Fujibotan’     A lovely Japanese selection with fully double, lavender flowers. Mature clumps are capable of producing stems with up to fifty flowers per stem. Flowers are excellent for cutting and lend high interest to any arrangement. Dark green leaves. 26ins. tall.

‘Grand Marquee’ New     A tokudama type with nearly round, glaucous, puckered and cupped leaves whose centers are striped with white in spring. In summer the striping becomes a solid wedge of pure white. 18” tall.

‘Guacamole’  Huge, apple green leaves with dark green margins. Leaf centers become brighter gold in summer. Fragrant white flowers in summer. 22ins. tall by 36ins. wide.

‘Hanky Panky’    Spring foliage is dark green with a pale lime margin and a white thread between the center and margin. In summer the edge turns white with an unusual pale green overlay. 13ins. high by 23ins. wide.

‘Ice Prancer’    Very thick, frosty blue, heavily rippled leaves that form medium to large, slug resistent clumps, 20ins. tall. Beautiful! Limited supply.

‘June’     The 2001 Hosta of the Year, 'June' is a sport of the lovely blue hosta 'Halcyon', and has gold-centered leaves surrounded by a blue-green margin. Forms a dense, medium-sized mound 16"h x 37"w. The leaf color changes seasonally, beginning with a bluish blush overall causing the center to be more chartreuse, and then lightening as the season progresses. The chartreuse color will persist in dense shade Thick substance discourages munching by slugs.

‘June Fever’     A nearly all yellow sport of 'June' with a narrow, dark green margin that jets towards the midrib. Leaves turn chartreuse in summer. An attractive medium sized hosta, 15" tall by 24" wide. Lavender flowers in mid summer.

‘Komodo Dragon’New    Large, heart-shaped, gray-green leaves that are deeply veined and attractively rippled. This is another large Hosta that at maturity can 2ft. high by 6ft. wide.

'Krossa Regal'    Gray-blue-green leaves grow in a distinct vase shape, 33" h x 71" w. Lavender flowers bloom on wonderfully tall, 3-5' scapes late July-Aug. A classic hosta that is very versatile in the landscape.

‘Lakeside Kaleidoscope'      Wavy, pointed leaves have creamy-white margins that streak into the blue-green center. Near-white flowers are carried on blue-green and cream streaked scapes in summeer. 8ins. tall by 25ins. wide.

‘Little Sunspot’New     A sport of ‘Little Aurora’ featuring small mounds of slightly cyupped, heart-shaped leaves with yellow centers and contrasting, wide, green margins. Pale lavender flowers bloom on 12-15” scapes in summer.  Develops a foliage mound 6-10” tall by 12” wide.

‘Loyalist’      One of the best white centered hostas. A sport of 'Patriot' with reverse variegation. Leaves have deep green margins and nearly pure white centers. Leaves are of heavy substance. 18" high by 20" wide.

‘Marilyn Monroe’     Elongated, heart-shaped, apple-green leaves are accented with beautiful ruffling and presented at the ends of red petioles. Have not yet seen it, but all accounts are highly favorable, especially focusing on its look of “quiet beauty”. 

‘Minuteman’     Dark green leaves with a wide, near-white margin form a crisp, eye-catching, great performing hosta. A sport of the terrific cultivar H. ‘Francee’ but with sharper “center to margin” color contrast. A standout specimen or massing hosta that shines all season long. 18” tall by 24” wide. Pale lavender flowers in summer.

‘Miss Linda Smith’ New     Lots of purple in the mix here! First of all the medium sized blue-green leaves of good substance are supported on dramatic dark purple petioles. The color scheme is further extended by the purple scapes carrying light purple flowers from late July into Aug. 16” tall by 30” wide.

‘Miss Susie’ New     Long, somewhat narrow yellow leaves are carried on bright red petioles. Best displayed in an elevated position so that the petiole/leaf contrast can really be admired. 

'On Stage'    One of the most beautiful of the gold-centered hostas, with large leaves bordered with an irregular green margin that streaks into the gold center. Quite sun tolerant; in bright light the center turns creamy white. 14"h x 24"w, bearing very pale lavender flowers on 24-30" scapes in July. limited availability.

‘Pamela Lee’ New    Just a tad too big for miniature status but still a very cute small hosta with small, spade-shaped, glaucous, leaves with blue-green centers and lighter green margins. Foliage to 10” high by 24” wide. From John O’Brien. 

‘Pandora’s Box’     A cute, miniature hosta with 2in. long, white centered leaves surrounded by blue-green margins. 4-6ins. tall by 12ins. wide.

plantaginea 'Aphrodite'    Large mound of shiny green foliage and double double, fragrant , white flowers in Aug. 24ins high by 60ins. wide. Choice.

plantaginea var. grandiflora (August Lily)    A plant of great beauty in both flower and foliage. Forms a large mound of shiny, apple-green, heart-shaped leaves, 2'h x nearly 5'w. In August, large, trumpet-shaped, very fragrant, pure white flowers bloom on 2-2½' scapes. Photo shows a planting at the ‘Mount’ in Stockbridge, MA.

'Praying Hands'    This 14" high by 16" wide clump resembles upward facing hands folded in prayer—perhaps begging a voracious slug for mercy? The narrow green, crinkled leaves are bordered with a band of creamy yellow. Lavender flowers bloom on 18" scapes in late summer.

‘Regal Splendor’     A sport of 'Krossa Regal', with the same wonderfully tall flower scapes, up to 60". Leaves are a frosty blue-green with a white margin, very upright. Vase-shaped, 33"h x 70"w. Excellent specimen.

‘Royal Standard’     ( H. plantaginea x H. sieboldiana) A large mound of bright green foliage, with many fragrant, white flowers in August. It was the first hosta ever patented, (registered in 1964), and what was great about it then, is still great today; fast growing into large attractive clumps, with large numbers of white fragrant flowers. A single plant can produce more than 1000 flowers over the long, 3½ week bloom period. Blooms mid Aug. – early Sept. One of the most sun tolerant hostas, capable of withstanding 3-4 hrs. of direct sunlight. All day sun is too intense and plants will burn unless shielded from the hottest, afternoon sun. Pest free. Should be considered for its fragrance alone.

‘Shazaam’     Wedge-shaped, heavily corrugated, dark green leaves, sharply outlined surrounded by a dramatic creamy-white margin. 12ins. tall by 2ft. wide.

sieboldiana 'Great Expectations'    Another fortuitous mutation, this time of H. sieboldiana 'Elegans', with wide, irregular blue-green margins surrounding light, creamy centers. Leaves are round and puckered with good substance. A striking hosta that is slow to mature but well worth the wait. 20"high x 26" wide.

'Striptease'     Heart-shaped leaves have broad, dark blue-green margins surrounding a wide chartreuse center, with very fine white streaks between the two colors; violet flowers. Makes a gorgeous, medium-sized specimen, 16" tall by 20" wide.

'Sum and Substance'    A giant hosta whose leaf color varies with sun exposure from light green to chartreuse to gold. Good slug resistence. Sun tolerant. Pale lavender flowers. 36ins. tall by 48ins. wide.

‘Sun Power’    Brilliant gold leaves, twisted and of better than average substance. Color is brightest when grown in some sun. Upright vase-shaped of arching habit. Pale lavender flowers. 24ins. tall by 40ins. wide.

tokudama ‘Aureo-nebulosa’     Parent to 'Blue Shadows', this hosta is highly prized by hosta-lovers. Cupped and heavily puckered leaves have a blue-green margin and a chartreuse-changing-to-gold center, with pale green and blue-green streaking. Takes a while to reach its mature size of 12-18" high by 2-3' wide, but well worth the wait.

'Tokudama Flavocircinalis'    Heavily corrugated blue-green leaves with an irregular gold margin display thick substance. Resembles a medium-sized 'Frances Williams', reaching 14-18"h by 2-4'w. Near white flowers bloom on 25" stems. Kirengeshoma palmata is at the back.

‘Tom Schmid’     A sport of 'Krossa Regal' with its parents large, upright, vase-shaped form. Leaves are blue -green with a pure white margin.

‘Touch of Class’     This tetraploid sport of 'June' has more upright leaves with heavier substance, but the same lovely coloration: blue-green leaves with striking yellow-gold centers and green streaking. To 16" tall, with lavender flowers on 22" scapes in mid-summer.