Hosta Database: Hosta Seeds from the Hosta Helper by PlantsGalore.Com

Plants reproduce sexually by the production of seeds which contain genetic material from the male (pollen) and female (pod) parent. Of course, unlike in the animal kingdom, both parents may be on the same plant or they may be contributed by two different plants. People called hybridizers grow new plants from seeds and often sort through thousands of seedlings to find one that is worthy of naming and introducing to the gardening public.


	Most hosta plants are capable of producing seeds at the end of the growing season. Some types are sterile and, therefore, produce no seeds. Of course, they will be of no use to hybridizers as pod parent in cross-breeding.


	The seed produced by most hostas is viable and is fully capable of germinating and producing seedlings. Some hybrid plants are naturally sterile while others just produce seed that will not germinate for some reason i.e. Non-Viable. As part of the registration process, seed viability may be listed as unknown at the time of registration.


	Hybrid hostas are the result of pollen from the stamen of the flower being moved to the pistil of a flower. This may happen on two different plants or on the same plant (self-pollination). If the source of the pollen is not recorded, it is called an open-pollinated hybrid. In rare cases, the pollen parent is known but the pod parent is either unknown or not named.


	The vast majority of seed pods developed on hostas are green in color. However, some are shades of red or purple or blue-green.