This hosta was once thought to be a species (H. fortunei) but was changed to cultivar status (H. 'Fortunei') by Schmid in 1991. There are many, many cultivars which also had their names changed from, for example, H. fortunei 'Gigantea' to H. 'Fortunei Gigantea' at that time. These plants were often used as parent plants for others which means that H. 'Fortunei' would be in the Genetic Background of all of these cultivars. There are also many hostas called 'Fortunei'-Type.

According to a presentation we heard by a former Hosta Registrar, the largest single group of hostas that have been registered would fall into the "large size, blue-green" category. When you look into their background, the most common plants you find are H. 'Sieboldiana' and H. Elegans' which were historically called the species H. sieboldiana and its cultivar H. sieboldiana 'Elegans'. In 2010, the species, H. sieboldiana was reclassified as a cultivar, H. 'Sieboldiana'...although some Hostaphiles still debate the change in status.

For decades, people have often confused these two plants whether in the garden or in the nursery trade when identifying large, blue-green hostas. We have used the statements found in various reference books, The Hosta Journal and online resources to place one or both of these plants in the background of cultivars. Several sources say that, barring some type of DNA testing, it is nearly impossible to say for sure whether H. 'Sieboldiana' or H. 'Elegans' or both are in the background of a specific hosta cultivar. However, since 'Elegans' is a sport of H. 'Sieboldiana', we must assume that H. 'Sieboldiana' is in the background of all of these plants. It is just a judgment as to whether it is the parent, grandparent or further back in the lineage.

This is a group of medium size, intensely blue-green hostas which were developed by English hybridizer, Eric Smith in the 1960s. They were the result of an unusual cross when a normally early season blooming H. sieboldiana 'Elegans' produced flowers in late summer. That allowed Smith to cross it with late season blooming H. 'Tardiflora'. Recently, what was then considered the species, H. sieboldiana has been changed to cultivar status as H. 'Sieboldiana'.

In our database, H. 'Tardiflora', 'Sieboldiana' and 'Elegans' have been included in the Genetic Background of 159 hostas which are either part of the original Tardiana Group or are noted as being a "Tardiana-Type" plant. This indicates that the person giving this designation felt that one of the original Tardianas was in a plant's genetic background.

This is another plant that was once considered a species (H. tokudama) but was changed to cultivar status (H. 'Tokudama') by Schmid in 1991. There are many cultivars which had their names changed from, for example, H. tokudama 'Aureonebulosa' to H. 'Tokudama Aureonebulosa'. These hostas were often used as parent plants for others which means that H. 'Tokudama' would be in the Genetic Background of all of these plants too.