H. longipes
'Iwa Soules'
 

This form of the species H. longipes is a cultivar from Marge Soules of Indiana which was registered in 2009 by Kevin Walek (Hosta Registrar) on her behalf. It forms a large size hosta about 19 inches high that spreads to 56 inches wide. The leaves are slightly wavy and slightly corrugated with above average substance. It has dense clusters of pale purple flowers with purple anthers borne on 20 to 30 inch scapes in August into September.

According to The Hostapedia by Mark Zilis (2009), "H. 'Iwa G' = H. longipes 'Iwa Soules'...Normally "Iwa G" would just be short for "Iwa Gibōshi", the Japanese common name for H. longipes. In this case, however, Van Wade of Wade and Gatton Nursery (Closed 2019) of Ohio credits this plant to "Soules", i.e. Marge Soules. Marge imported a form of H. longipes from Japan, which was dubbed 'Iwa Soules' by Schmid (1991)."

Nomenclature changes recommended in the 1991 book The Genus Hosta by W. George Schmid and accepted by The American Hosta Society would update names as follows: H. tortifrons is now H. 'Tortifrons' and H. tardiflora is H. 'Tardiflora'.

This seedling of the species, H. longipes is a small size plant from Japan that blooms from August into September.

"Plant is one of the many natural hybrids of H. longipes in cultivation, but the use of the formal Japanese name as a cultivar name is technically incorrect because it applies to and is taxonomically linked with the type of H. longipes. Since this cultivated taxon originated with a Japanese import by Soules Garden, I have renaimed it H. 'Iwa Soules'. It flowers later than the species and may be a hybrid with H. aequinoctiantha or one of its variants."

Mikiko Lockwood in an article on The Hosta Library titled, A Little About Japanese Hosta Terms defines the term iwa as rock, Iwa Gibōshi or H. longipes.

An article about Fall Bloomers by Herb Benedict and Jim Wilkins in The Hosta Journal (1991 Vol. 22 No. 1) states that, "Here are some of the fall blooming plants we grow...(listed in the order of bloom times in Michigan).

1) H. kikutii A medium size plant densely flowering with white blooms. The flowers are equally arranged around the central axis of the raceme so that the bloom scapes resembles a bottle brush or pony tail...We are growing two named varieties, 'Hirao-59' and 'Finlandia'.
2) H. 'Fall Bouquet' Small, green plant, leaves slightly undulated, lavender scape and blooms, floriferous.
3) H. longipes Small green plant, densely flowering with a tall stiff bloom scape. The flowers are lavender and the leaves are green.
4) H. gracillima Funnel-shaped, light lavender flowers. A miniature green plant, with shiny surface.
5) H. 'Iwa Soules' Iwa means rock, and this plant was imported by Marjorie Soules, from Japan. It is a small green plant with lavender flowers.
6) H. tortifrons In the same section (Picnolepis) as H. longipes and H. rupifraga. Distinctive small plant, with twisted green leaves and lavender flowers.
7) H. 'Fused Veins' Small, green leaves often with ¼ inch margin which is a lighter green. The lance shaped leaves are undulated and the veins come together regularly. The flowers are mauve and the scape is sometimes branched.
8) H. rupifraga Small, medium green, with thick, leathery, ovate leaves. Densely flowering with purple flowers. 'Urajiro', 'Grand Slam', 'Maruba Iwa'
9) H. tardiflora   This small hosta is the last to bloom for us. Its leaves are shiny, dark green and lance shaped. The flowers are light lavender and borne in abundance on 12 inch scapes.





   

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