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Hostas
All Shapes and Sizes
(Originally Published July/August 2007).
WHEN IT comes to hostas, the bigger the better. And the smaller the better.
In bright but shady areas across the Midwest, hostas of all sizes—as well as colors, leaf types and scents—reign supreme, says Mark Zilis, author of The Hosta Handbook and an Illinois hosta breeder.
"The Midwest is really where hostas are utilized the most in the U.S.," Mark says. "We see some of the greatest use and the best collections by home gardeners here." So when it comes to trends in the hosta community, they're showing up here first.
The sizable plants in Midwest gardens, for example, reflect a widespread taste for bigger specimens. "Large hostas—anything more than 2 feet high—such as 'Sum and Substance' and 'Sagae' tend to make more of an impact in the garden," says Mark, who has introduced more than 150 hosta varieties (of all sizes) at his wholesale nursery, Q & Z Nursery in Rochelle, Illinois.
Gardeners also are starting to collect dwarf varieties such as 'Tiny Tears', 'Cookie Crumbs', 'Bread Crumbs' and 'Shiny Penny'. At 6 inches or less, their petite size makes them ideal for planting in a shady rock garden or in a container.
Audra Wilson likes all hostas, no matter their sizes. In 15 dappled-shade hosta beds spread across two acres in tiny Ackworth in central Iowa, Audra tends nearly 1,500 varieties. Some have leaves the size of a large turkey platter, while others grow smaller than her pinkie finger.
Audra, president of a central Iowa hosta society, hosted hundreds of visitors on a tour of area display gardens during last summer's American Hosta Society national convention, held in Des Moines.
"Audra has an outstanding collection grown under ideal conditions," says Mark, citing her tall shade trees that allow just enough sun to filter below. From large to small, her collection exhibits every type of hosta gardeners are looking for today, including tetraploids, another hot trend.
To a plant breeder like Mark, the term means each plant contains double the usual number of chromosomes. To a gardener, it means a vigorous hosta with thicker leaves, more vibrant foliage colors and larger blooms.
