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Origin of Paul Aden's Registrations
by AHS Cultivar Origination Commission
In April 2012,
The American Hosta
Society president,
Doug Beilstein, appointed the AHS Cultivar
Origination Commission with this mission:
Investigate origins of Paul
Aden’s registrations and report findings to the
International Registrar for the Genus Hosta for modifyingThe
Hosta Registry.
Members are
Tom Micheletti (Chair),
Warren I. Pollock,
W. George Schmid and
Mark R. Zilis. Tom is AHS
Immediate Past President, a member of the AHS Executive Council.
Warren and George are the AHS Nomenclature Committee. Warren is a
Contributing Editor of The Hosta Journal and The Online Hosta
Journal. George, a Hosta species authority, wrote the classic “The
Genus Hosta – Gibōshi Zoku” (1991) and frequently contributes
articles to the journals. Mark wrote the new classic “The Hostapedia”
(2009) and the earlier popular reference, “The Hosta Handbook”
(2000). He is president of Q & Z Nursery, Inc., a large hosta
tissue-culture propagation facility.
Around the end of last year, AHS people became increasingly aware
that Paul Aden, Baldwin, New York, who died in 2010, may have
acquired hostas from originators and nurseries, and registered them
with his cultivar names.
It is important to note that in the 1970s and ’80s and 1990, when
Aden registered many hostas, the registration process required only
listing a Registrant with no column or box to list an Originator.
Thus the plants registered by Aden could be, but not necessarily
were, originated by him. Often they were incorrectly considered to
be Paul Aden’s originations.
The
Hosta Registrar noted this matter in his prologue in the “2011
Registrations” issue of The Hosta Journal (Vol. 43, R, p. 4), the
blue-cover THJ published in the spring. The item, “Controversy
Regarding Certain Registered Hostas,” asserts:
…an “*” will be placed by the
Registrar, in the space designated for ‘originator’ on all
Aden registrations. The “*” is intended to indicate that the
origin of this plant is undocumented and is not considered
originated by Aden.
The Commission’s task is to supply the
Hosta Registrar with needed information on originators of Paul
Aden’s registrations to modify The Hosta Registry.
Paul Aden’s name appears in 179 hosta registrations. At this writing
27 have an “*” identification. They include well-known ‘Blue
Mammoth’, ‘Blue Seer’, ‘Bright Lights’, ‘Fresh’, ‘Fringe Benefit’,
‘Pixie Power’, ‘Super Bowl’ and ‘Tet-A-Poo’.
At least four hybridizers may have been principal originators of
some of Paul Aden’s registrations:
Kevin C. Vaughn,
Florence N.
Shaw,
Chet Tompkins and
Cynthia Tompkins (Chet’s mother). Mrs. Shaw,
who lived in Weston, Massachusetts, and the Tompkinses, who lived in
Canby, Oregon, have passed away. Dr. Vaughn now lives in Salem,
Oregon, having retired from the USDA’s laboratory in Stoneville,
Mississippi, two years ago.
In 2012 Kevin Vaughn received the coveted
Eunice Fisher
Distinguished Hybridizer Merit Award, selecting ‘Christmas Tree’ as
his distinguished hosta. In his acceptance address, published in
this Online Hosta Journal (Vol. 43 Online), he states:
Most of his variegated plants
were stolen from his mother’s garden.
This occurred in July 1979 when he had
his seedlings growing on in his mother’s garden in Athol,
Massachusetts, while he was at Miami University in Ohio completing
his Ph.D., which he received in 1980. His dissertation was on Hosta
genetics. Dr. Vaughn’s acceptance address is a key adjunct to The
Commission’s investigations.
Also in this Online Hosta Journal is an article by
Bill Meyer,
Woodbury, Connecticut, on Paul Aden. A wide-ranging portrait of his
persona and horticultural activities, it too was considered in The
Commission’s inquiries.
Bill Meyer concludes: “Paul Aden wasn't the man who created the
plants that put hostas on the map. He was Hosta’s Talent Scout and
Promoter – still a significant role to be sure. The plants he
introduced that carry his name should be considered more of a
marketing concept rather than a collection from a single
hybridizer.” Meyer’s account should be read in conjunction with this
report.
The Commission’s investigations are in several phases. To provide
background, a comprehensive TIMELINE was developed of important
events related to Paul Aden, Kevin Vaughn, Florence Shaw and Chet
Tompkins. It’s from the 1960s, when Mrs. Shaw was actively
hybridizing hostas and developed her “Birchwood” hostas, to Aden’s
death.
Phase 1 comprised 11 hostas Aden registered, including ‘Great
Expectations’, registered in 1988; ‘On Stage’, in 1986; and ‘Color
Glory’, in 1980.
The Commission concluded that Paul Aden was not the originator of
‘Great
Expectations’ and ‘On Stage’. Although he apparently acquired
these hostas with the originator’s or nursery’s authorization, each
was registered and introduced with Aden’s cultivar name.
Accordingly, The Commission recommended
in The Hosta Registry:
John Bond be listed as
originator of ‘Great Expectations’.
Asami be listed as originator of ‘On
Stage’. Also, a note be added that ‘On Stage’ is the same hosta as
‘Chōkō Nishiki’, originated by Asami and introduced by Gotemba
Nursery in Japan.
‘Chōkō Nishiki’ be registered with Asami as Originator, Gotemba
Nursery as Introducer and Hosta Registrar as Registrant.
John Bond, a former Keeper of The Savill Garden in U.K., now
deceased, found a mediovariegated sport of ‘Elegans’ in his garden
in Surrey, and gave Aden a piece to introduce in 1984. Aden
registered it as ‘Great Expectations’.
Mr. Asami gave Gotemba Nursery a green-margined yellow-leaved sport
of H. montana with variegation becoming greener in the shade as
season progresses, called ‘Chōkō Nishiki’ in Japan. It is not
registered. In 1981 Aden acquired ‘Chōkō Nishiki’ from this nursery,
founded by
Kenji Watanabe and still operated by the Watanabe family,
and registered and introduced it as ‘On Stage’.
The Commission also concluded that ‘Color Glory’ registered by Paul
Aden in 1980 is not ‘Color Glory’ that he introduced in the trade in
1989. H. ‘Color Glory’ in the trade is ‘Borwick Beauty’, a medio-variegated
sport of ‘Elegans’ registered in 1988 by the
British Hosta and
Hemerocallis Society for
G. & B. McBurnie. They found this sport in
their Borwick, U.K., garden, and gave Aden a piece in 1984 that he
claimed died. The ‘Color Glory’ hosta registered in 1980 was not
introduced in the trade and is lost.
Accordingly, The Commission recommended
in The Hosta Registry:
A note be added to ‘Color Glory’ (P. Aden - 1980) that it is not
‘Color Glory’ in the trade. Also, a note be added to ‘Borwick
Beauty’ (G. & B. McBurnie - 1988) that ‘Borwick Beauty’ is the same
hosta as ‘Color Glory’ in the trade, but not the same hosta as
‘Color Glory’ registered in 1980.
Eight other hostas were investigated in Phase 1 as possible Kevin
Vaughn originations:
-
‘Brim
Cup’ (registered in 1986)
-
‘Fragrant
Blue’ (1988)
-
‘Fragrant
Bouquet’ (1982)
-
‘Fringe Benefit’ (2010
by Mark Zilis for Paul Aden)
-
‘Grand
Master’ (1986)
-
‘Pizzazz’
(1986)
-
‘So Sweet’ (1986)
-
‘Sweetie’
(1988)
The Commission found all are Kevin Vaughn’s originations.
Accordingly, it recommended in The Hosta Registry:
Kevin C. Vaughn be listed as originator of these
eight cultivars.
In Phase 2 possible Florence Shaw originations were investigated.
Hostas were stolen from her garden in 1974 and 1975; she died in
1975. The Commission found 16 to be her originations:
- ‘Amy Aden’ (1980)
- ‘Big Daddy’ (1976)
- ‘Big Mama’ (1976)
- ‘Blue Angel’ (1986)
- ‘Blue Cadet’ (1974)
- ‘Blue Umbrellas’ (1978)
- ‘Citation’ (1980)
- ‘Fascination’ (1978)
- ‘Golden Waffles’ (1976)
- ‘Green Wedge’ (1976)
- ‘Ground Master’ (1979)
- ‘Love Pat’ (1978)
- ‘Piecrust Power’ (2010 by Mark Zilis for
Paul Aden)
- 'Sum and Substance’ (1980)
- ‘Vicki Aden’ (1980)
- ‘Zounds’ (1978)
Accordingly, The Commission recommended in The Hosta Registry:
Florence N. Shaw be listed as originator of these 16
cultivars.
It should be emphasized that many of
Florence Shaw’s plants possibly
might never have been introduced, or even known, if not for Paul
Aden acquiring and introducing them. Better appreciated now is that
she was a foremost, early hosta hybridizer. Paul Aden must be
credited for recognizing the important value of Florence Shaw’s, and
also Kevin Vaughn’s, originations. Many have become hosta classics.
Phase 3 will investigate possible
Chet and Cynthia Tompkins
originations, as well as possible other originators. Chet Tompkins
gave hostas to Aden in 1978-1982 to introduce that Aden claimed
died.
This is a preliminary report by The Commission. The investigation
will continue and a final report is slated for the 2013 edition of
The Online Hosta Journal.
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Origin of Paul Aden's
Registrations
by AHS Cultivar
Origination Commission
|
In
April 2012, The American Hosta Society president,
Doug Beilstein, appointed the AHS Cultivar
Origination Commission with this mission:
Investigate origins of Paul Aden’s registrations
and report findings to the International
Registrar for the Genus
Hosta for modifying The Hosta Registry.
The Commission’s first report was published in 2012
issue of The Online Hosta Journal and
reprinted in Registration 2012 issue of The Hosta Journal (Vol. 44, No. R, p. 5). The
late Florence M. Shaw was credited as originator of
16 hostas, and Kevin C. Vaughn as originator of 8
hostas, registered by the late Paul Aden. Examples
are:
H.
‘Blue Angel’ (F. Shaw - 1986),
H.
‘Blue Umbrellas’ (F. Shaw - 1978),
H.
‘Fragrant
Blue’ (K. Vaughn - 1988),
H.
‘Fragrant
Bouquet’ (K. Vaughn - 1982),
H.
‘Love Pat’ (F. Shaw - 1978),
H.
‘So Sweet’ (K. Vaughn - 1986),
H.
‘Sum and Substance’ (F. Shaw - 1980) and
H.
‘Zounds’ (F. Shaw - (1978).
Parentage of Mrs. Shaw’s and Dr. Vaughn’s hostas was
not addressed in the 2012 report. Unfortunately,
breeding records are lost and the correct pod and
pollen parents cannot be identified. Accordingly,
the Commission now has recommended in The Hosta
Registry:
Parentage of Shaw’s and Vaughn’s originations be
listed as Selected seedling.
Parentages in Aden’s registrations are to be
deleted.
The 2012 report credited “Asami” as originator of
H. ‘On Stage’, with a note that ‘On Stage’ is
the same hosta as ‘Chōkō Nishiki’. Originator of
‘Chōkō Nishiki’ was possibly thought to be Mr.
Hisatoyo Asami of Tokyo, a long-time member of The
American Hosta Society. An inquiry to Mr. Hisatoyo
Asami determined that though he purchased the hosta
around 1980, he was not its discoverer or
originator. Furthermore, Mr. Asami does not know who
named it. Accordingly, the Commission now has
recommended in The Hosta Registry:
Originator of ‘On Stage’ be listed
as Unknown.
The Commission continued its investigations of
hostas registered by and for Paul Aden in 2013.
Findings and recommendations are reported here.
The Hosta Registry lists three (3)
Tardianas that
Aden registered for the late
Eric Smith: H.
‘Blue Moon’ (1976), H. ‘Dorset Blue’ (1977),
and H. ‘Harmony’ (1976). In fact, Aden
registered five (5) Tardianas for Smith. H.
‘Hadspen Blue’ and ‘Hadspen Heron’ were incorrectly
listed in The Hosta Registry with
Peter Ruh as
registrant. Paul Aden was the actual registrant.
(See ‘Hadspen Blue’ and
‘Hadspen Heron’ in Mark
Zilis’s The Hostapedia.) Peter Ruh was not
involved with hosta registrations in 1976 and 1977.
Accordingly, the Commission recommended in The Hosta
Registry:
Registrant of ‘Hadspen Blue’ (1977) and ‘Hadspen
Heron’ (1977) be corrected and P. Aden be cited as
registrant.
Interestingly, the registrations of these Tardianas
do not credit Eric Smith as originator. The
Commission believed this was an opportune time for
correction, and, accordingly, recommended in The
Hosta Registry:
E. Smith be recognized as originator of ‘Blue
Moon’, ‘Dorset Blue’, ‘Hadspen Blue’, ‘Hadspen
Heron’, and ‘Harmony’ in their registrations.
Many Aden registrations have parentage with Aden
numbered names, like
Aden 365 and
[H.
‘Aden 81-B1’ × H. ‘Aden 83-B4’].
They have no physical reality and should be
deleted and replaced with Unknown.
On the other hand, some registrations have parentage
with proper cultivar and species names. Examples
are:
[H. ‘Blue Tiers’
× H. ‘Blue
Angel’] for H. ‘Big Mama’,
[Hybrid of
H.
Tardiana Group] for
H. ‘Blessings’,
[Sport of
H.
Amy Aden’] for
H. ‘Blonde
Elf’,
[Hybrid of H. ‘Tokudama’] for
H. ‘Blue
Cadet’
[Hybrid of
H. sieboldiana] for
H.
‘Blue Mammoth’.
Likely, some of these parentages are not correct,
e.g., ‘Big Mama’, ‘Blessings’, and ‘Blue Cadet’.
Still, they have historical significance and should
be retained. Accordingly, the Commission recommended
in The Hosta Registry:
Except for hostas credited with Shaw and Vaughn as
originations, Aden registrations not having proper
cultivar or species names for parentage be listed as
Parentage Unknown.
Also, the Commission recommended in The Hosta
Registry:
Original registration years of Aden registrations be
retained, with mention of alteration year.
Nineteen (19) hostas have “Abba” in their cultivar
names. This was Paul Aden’s personal identifier and
apparently means “father”; in other words, a title
of honor. Nine (9) “Abba”-named cultivars were
registered by Aden in 1990 and 10 were registered
for Aden by Mark Zilis in 2010. The Commission
concluded that all “Abba”-named hostas should be
credited to Paul Aden. Accordingly,
the Commission recommended in The Hosta Registry:
P. Aden be credited as originator of “Abba”-hostas
registered in 1990.
P. Aden be retained as originator of "Abba"-hostas
registered in 2010.
Following are “Abba”-hostas with recommended
parentage. Those with * already were registered
with P. Aden as originator.
Of the more than 100 remaining Paul
Aden-registrations in The Hosta Registry, one thing
seems certain: many did not originate with Paul.
Likely originators could be Florence Shaw, Kevin
Vaughn, Cynthia and Chet Tompkins, and
Eric Smith,
the famous English plantsman. Of course, some likely
could be Aden’s own creations. Guesses of possible
originators abounded, but there was a paucity of reliable information.
Conclusive evidence
rarely was available. Thus, additional
recommendations were sparse.
These recommendations in the
Hosta Registry were
made by the Commission:
P. Aden be credited as originator of
H.
‘Shade Fanfare’.
It is a sport of
‘Flamboyant’, found in tissue culture.
Chet (Ch.) Tompkins be credited as originator of
H. ‘Flamboyant’ and
H. ‘Floradora’.
Parentage of both is Unknown.
Though it is not an Aden registration,
H.
‘Antioch’, registered by
Peter Ruh and
Paul Hofer,
was included in the Commission’s discussion. Pete Ruh has determined that Cynthia Tompkins originated
this hosta; see information in The Hostapedia,
p. 76. Accordingly, the Commission recommended in
The Hosta Registry:
Cynthia (Cy.) Tompkins be credited as originator
of H. ‘Antioch’. Parentage is Unknown. P.
Ruh and P. Hofer remain credited as nominants and
registrants.
Having completed its mission, the Commission
submitted this final report to the
Hosta Registrar
on October 8, 2013.
AHS Cultivar Origination Commission
Tom Micheletti, Chair
Warren I. Pollock
W. George Schmid
Mark R. Zilis
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