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Mark Zilis has been working with hostas for over thirty years as an avid grower, hybridizer and former nursery owner. In 2009, he published the most comprehensive book on the genus to date titled, The Hostapedia. In this massive publication, he made personal observations and comments on around 7,000 hosta species and cultivars.

Taking this amount of information and making sense of it quickly becomes a dizzying problem. So, we at PGC thought it wood be helpful to sift through the pages and pull out many of the most highly praised, outstanding hostas according to Mark Zilis' opinion. We call each plant a" Mark Zilis All-Star".

Of course, Mr PGC agrees with each designation and recommends that all of you serious Hostaphiles buy a copy of The Hostapedia today!!

Note: In the spirit of fair play, we have also compiled a list (much shorter) of Mark Zilis NO-Star hostas.

  1. 'Abba Dabba Do'
  2. 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd'
  3. 'Aksarban'
  4. 'All that Jazz'
  5. 'Am I Blue'
  6. 'Aphrodite'
  7. 'August Moon'
  8. 'Aureomarginata'ventricosa
  9. 'Aztec Treasure'
  10. 'Back Bay'
  11. 'Bashful Polly'
  12. 'Beatrice'
  13. 'Bill Brincka'
  14. 'Birchwood Elegance'
  15. 'Blazing Saddles'
  16. 'Blonde Elf'
  17. 'Blue Angel'
  18. 'Blue Cadet'
  19. 'Blue Danube'
  20. 'Blue Hawaii'
  21. 'Blue Mammoth'
  22. 'Brother Ronald'
  23. 'Calypso'
  24. 'Cascades'
  25. 'Chartreuse Wiggles'
  26. 'Chesapeake Bay'
  27. 'Choo Choo Train'
  28. 'City Lights'
  29. 'Collector's Banner'
  30. 'Cool Change'
  31. 'Corkscrew'
  32. 'Corn Belt'
  33. 'Crispula'
  34. 'Cup of Grace'
  35. 'Cutting Edge'
  36. 'Dark Tower'
  37. 'Dawn's Early Light'
  38. 'Daybreak'
  39. 'Deep Blue Sea'
  40. 'Diamond Tiara'
  41. 'Dick Ward'
  42. 'Donahue Piecrust'
  43. 'Dorset Blue'
  44. 'Eagle's Nest'
  45. 'Emerald City'
  46. 'Eventide'
  47. 'Everlasting Love'
  48. 'Fascination'
  49. 'Fatal Attraction'
  50. 'Feather Boa'
  51. 'Formal Attire'
  52. 'Fortunei Hyacinthina'
  53. 'Fragrant Bouquet'
  54. 'Francee'
  55. 'Frosted Dimples'
  56. 'Frosted Jade'
  57. 'Fujibotan'
  58. 'Gay Blade'
  59. 'Ghost Spirit'
  60. 'Gold Regal'
  61. 'Gold Standard'
  62. 'Golden Memories'
  63. 'Golden Sculpture'
  64. 'Golden Tiara'
  65. 'Great Expectations'
  66. 'Great Lakes Gold'
  67. 'Green Angel'
  68. 'Green Dragonet'
  69. 'Green Fountain'
  70. 'Guacamole'
  71. 'Guardian Angel'
  72. 'Hakumuo'
  73. 'Halcyon'
  74. 'Heavenly Constellation'
  75. 'High Noon'
  76. 'Hippodrome'
  77. 'Honeybells'
  78. 'Innisjade'
  79. 'Inniswood'
  80. 'June'
  1. 'Just So'
  2. 'Kabitan'
  3. 'Key West'
  4. 'Korean Snow'
  5. 'Krossa Regal'
  6. 'Lake Superior'
  7. 'Lakeside Cindy Cee'
  8. 'Lakeside Full Tide'
  9. 'Lakeside Paisley Print'
  10. 'Lakeside Sir Logan'
  11. 'Lakeside Ring Master'
  12. 'Leading Lady'
  13. 'Lemonade'
  14. 'Little Sunspot'
  15. 'Louisa'
  16. 'Love Pat'
  17. 'Mesa Fringe'
  18. 'Midnight Moon'
  19. 'Midnight Oil'
  20. H. montana 'Aureomarginata'
  21. H. montana f. macrophylla
  22. 'Nutty Professor'
  23. 'Okutama Nishiki'
  24. 'Outrageous'
  25. 'Pandora's Box'
  26. 'Paul's Glory'
  27. 'Patriot'
  28. 'Piedmont Gold'
  29. 'Pineapple Punch'
  30. 'Powder Blue'
  31. 'Queen Josephine'
  32. 'Red Dragon'
  33. 'Regal Ruffles'
  34. 'Regal Splendor'
  35. 'Resonance'
  36. 'Robert Frost '
  37. 'Royal Mouse Ears'
  38. 'Sagae'
  39. 'Saishu Jima'
  40. 'Sergeant Pepper'
  41. 'Sea Frolic'
  42. 'Sea Prize'
  43. 'Shade Fanfare'
  44. 'Sharp Dressed Man'
  45. 'Shining Tot'
  46. 'Shirley Vaughn'
  47. 'Silver Bay'
  48. 'Skylight'
  49. 'So Sweet'
  50. 'Solar Flare'
  51. 'Spilt Milk'
  52. 'Spotlight'
  53. 'Spring Fling'
  54. 'Stained Glass'
  55. 'Standing Ovation'
  56. 'Stiletto'
  57. 'Strip Poker'
  58. 'Striptease'
  59. 'Subcrocea'
  60. 'Sugar Babe'
  61. 'Sultana'
  62. 'Sum and Substance'
  63. 'Summer Breeze'
  64. 'Sun Power'
  65. 'Super Bowl'
  66. 'Tiny Bubbles'
  67. 'Tiny Tears'
  68. 'Tokudama Aureonebulosa'
  69. 'Tokudama Flavocircinalis'
  70. 'Uncle Albert'
  71. 'Unforgettable'
  72. H. ventricosa 'Aureomarginata'
  73. 'Website'
  74. 'Xanadu Shining Knight'
  75. 'Wylde Green Cream'
  76. 'Yellow Splash'
  77. 'Yesterday's Memories'

Cultivar or Species

Mark Zilis' Comments from The Hostapedia

H. 'Abba Dabba Do' "...is the most widely distributed green-centered, gold margined sport of 'Sun Power' in the nursery industry. It makes an outstanding background or specimen plant."
H. 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' "Its combination of cupping, rich blue-green color, and corrugation makes it a superior specimen plant in the garden. It also has value as a breeding plant."
H. 'Aksarban' "Despite being one of the oldest of its category ("heavily corrugated, blue-green H. sieboldiana 'Elegans' type "), 'Aksarban' still rates as one of the best. Of course, the name "Aksarban" is "Nebraska" spelled backwards."
H. 'All that Jazz' "Viewing this fantastic cultivar in Olga Petryszyn's collection almost took my breath away...a truly elegant clump."
H. 'Am I Blue' "...ranks as an outstanding blue-leaved cultivar with somewhat of an open mound habit."
H. plantaginea 'Aphrodite' "One of the greatest hostas ever introduced...There is some debate as to how many petals 'Aphrodite' should possess, but the typical number ranges from ten to twenty. As for double-flowered hostas, it should be kept moist during the hottest times of the summer or the flower buds will turn brown and abort."
H. 'August Moon' "...ranks as one of the oldest and most greatly admired of all gold-leaved hostas. Every collector recognizes this plant..."
H. ventricosa 'Aureomarginata' "Just the addition of a creamy margin to H. ventricosa created one of the most outstanding hosta cultivars in existence."
H. 'Aztec Treasure' "...certainly ranks as one of the best gold-leaved cultivars ever developed...it produces purple flowers that contrast nicely with the bright gold foliage."
H. 'Back Bay' "Its size, substance, foliage color, and plant form make 'Back Bay' an outstanding choice for any shade garden."
H. 'Bashful Polly' "...should be considered one of the best seedlings out of 'Dorothy Benedict'. Its heavily streaked and mottled foliage makes it a sensational specimen plant and increases its value as a breeding plant."
H. 'Beatrice' "...ranks as one of the most significant hostas ever developed. Early hosta hybridizers used it and its seedlings extensively in their breeding efforts to produce thousands of variegated seedlings."
H. 'Bill Brincka' "...represents a virus-free version of 'Opipara'. Most 'Opipara' specimens in the U.S. were infected with a virus (probably Hosta Virus X) before Bill Brincka imported this clean plant from Japan. By whatever name, the plant is simply magnificent."
H. 'Birchwood Elegance' "...'Birchwood Elegance' is a much-admired plant. Several collectors and nurserymen have indicated to me that this was their favorite hosta. It makes a very large size mound of graceful, green foliage that can be used as a background plant."
H. 'Blazing Saddles' "...offers impressive, white-margined foliage, an attractive mound habit, and a vigorous growth rate, making it an ideal choice for landscape usage."
H. 'Blonde Elf' "Though lacking in substance, 'Blonde Elf' makes a tremendous, low ground cover. Its mound habit is very dense and the growth rate is very fast."
H. 'Blue Angel' "...has become the premier large blue-green hosta cultivar. It can be used in a variety of ways in the landscape, including as a ground cover, in small groups, or as a specimen plant. Though it is not a great breeding plant, it has been the source of many outstanding sports."
H. 'Blue Cadet' "This Paul Aden of New Yorkcultivar can be thought of as the archetype of the "dense, medium-size mound of heart-shaped, blue-green foliage" class of hostas."
H. 'Blue Danube' "...rich blue foliage and outstanding substance. Its only negative is a fairly slow growth rate, but that should not deter anyone from growing this great hosta."
H. 'Blue Hawaii' "...ranks near, if not at, the top of blue-leaved cultivars for its intensity of color. Added to that is an impressive mound structure and thick foliar substance, making this an outstanding plant for any shade garden."
H. 'Blue Mammoth' "Whenever I'm asked to identify the best big blue-leaved cultivars, 'Blue Mammoth' always comes to mind (with 'Blue Angel')."
H. 'Brother Ronald' "...has always been my favorite Tardiana. It offers an attractive combination of blue foliage and white flowers."
H. 'Calypso' "A well-grown specimen of 'Calypso' is truly a magnificent sight! The sharp contrast between the white center and dark green margin on long leaves that are folded lengthwise produces a striking appearance."
H. 'Cascades' "Simply put, 'Cascades' is stunning. the arching mound of white-centered foliage makes an ornamental impact wherever it is grown."
H. 'Chartreuse Wiggles' "The narrow, neatly rippled, gold foliage of 'Chartreuse Wiggles' makes it one of the most familiar of all hosta cultivars. It has been used as a specimen, edger, and low ground cover."
H. 'Chesapeake Bay' "I doubt there are many better blues than 'Chesapeake Bay', especially ones that offer something other than the typical 'sieboldiana' leaf shape."
H. 'Choo Choo Train' "When I first viewed this plant at the 1991 AHS convention in North Carolina, I considered it the best gold-leaved piecrust type ever developed. My opinion has not changed."
H. 'City Lights' "Despite being one of the oldest gold-leaved hosta cultivars, 'City Lights' still ranks highly for color, substance, and overall appearance. The shape of its flowers is more open than that of other H. 'Sieboldiana' types."
H. 'Collector's Banner' "Its continuous series of leaf color changes gives 'Collector's Banner' a multi-colored appearance, especially in juvenile clumps and early in the growing season. In the landscape, it makes an attention-grabbing specimen."
H. 'Cool Change' "Bob Kuk's specimen of 'Cool Change' is nothing short of impressive. It has an attractive mound habit, a rich blue foliage color and outstanding substance."
H. 'Corkscrew' "...was immediately impressed with its distinctive appearance. The curved, dark green leaves give it a look that cannot be mistaken for any other. It also represents a significant breakthrough in breeding as the first known seedling out of 'Tortifrons' to carry its genes for twisted, contorted foliage."
H. 'Corn Belt' "...should become very popular in the near future. The contrast between the gold center and green margins seems to be accentuated by its rippling."
H. 'Crispula' "Though known for more than one hundred years, 'Crispula' continues to be an outstanding choice as a white-edged cultivar for landscaping purposes. It has a distinctive appearance and a good show of flowers as well as a good growth rate...it has become apparent that 'Dewline' and 'Crispula' are the same plant."
H. 'Cup of Grace' "Doug and Mardy Beilstein neatly combined cupping, corrugation and a dark green leaf color along with a vase-shaped mound habit in this cultivar. In sum, 'Cup of Grace' is a tremendous plant!"
H. 'Cutting Edge' "Among the many cultivars with rippled margins, 'Cutting Edge' ranks near the top. The way the leaves are folded exposes the white undersides and seems to accentuate the rippled effect. This is a must for any complete hosta collection."
H. 'Dark Tower' "...what a plant! The large-size mound makes an imposing presence in any shade garden."
H. 'Dawn's Early Light' "Absolutely one of the best cultivars for piecrust margins and corrugation...makes a tremendous gold-leaved specimen plant. The corrugation increases in intensity as it matures."
H. 'Daybreak' "I have not seen this plant "burn" as golden Sieboldianas often do, and it certainly competes with 'Sum and Substance' and 'Solar Flare' for the honor of "best big gold"."
H. 'Deep Blue Sea' "Maturity brought out the intense corrugation, cupping, good blue color, and plastic like substance that were not evident at an earlier age...Every hosta collector should own 'Deep Blue Sea'."
H. 'Diamond Tiara' Over the years, it has proven to be an outstanding landscape plant and ranks alongside 'Golden Tiara' itself for durability and growth rate."
H. 'Dick Ward' "This is considered to be the best gold-centered H. sieboldiana type by many hosta collectors. Unlike the many sports of 'Elegans' and 'Frances Williams', it does not develop spring desiccation burn and makes a magnificent specimen in the shaded garden. It honors a person who has made tremendous contributions to The American Hosta Society over the last twenty-five or so years."
H. 'Donahue Piecrust' "In the garden, it makes a magnificent specimen, but can also be used as a background plant or large ground cover."
H. 'Dorset Blue' "...ranks as one of the smallest of Eric Smith's Tardianas...has also proven to be an excellent breeding plant...Its only negative is an extremely slow growth rate, but that should not stop anyone from including it in their collection."
H. 'Eagle's Nest' "Include 'Eagle's Nest' in the "gotta have" category of hostas. It differs from 'Sum and Substance' not only in having green-centered foliage, but also in mound and leaf sizes and flowering habit...a relative dwarf when compared to 'Sum and Substance', 'Sum It Up' or 'Sum of All'...less than half the size of a fully grown 'Sum and Substance'."
H. 'Emerald City' "This ranks as another great seedling out of H. montana macrophyhlla (formerly known as H. montana 'Praeflorens'). The very large size mound of green foliage appears only slightly different from its pollen parent. It can be effectively used as a centerpiece or background plant in the shaded landscape."
H. 'Eventide' "Graceful" is the word that comes to mind when I think of this superior Lachman of Massachusetts introduction. At maturity it rates highly in both foliage and flowering characteristics."
H. 'Everlasting Love' "Any plant surviving the strict standards of Greg Johnson's breeding program has to be great, and 'Everlasting Love' is no exception. Not only is it an outstanding grower in the shaded garden, but it also photographs well."
H. 'Fascination' "As a breeding plant, 'Fascination' ranks as one of the most important cultivars of the last thirty years. Paul Aden of New York, Dr. Ed Elslager of Michigan, Mary Chastain of Tennessee, and others have used it as a pod or pollen parent in developing new variegated varieties."
H. 'Fatal Attraction' "...simply a stunning plant. The foliage colors are vivid and bright. The creamy yellow margins sharply contrast the dark green center."
H. 'Feather Boa' "Its compact habit, rapid growth rate, bright foliage color, and attractive flowers make 'Feather Boa' an outstanding choice for ground cover or edging purposes."
H. 'Formal Attire' "The very thick creamy margins sharply contrast the green center and give it a distinctive appearance. Though the substance is not quite as thick as many Sieboldianas, that is secondary to the greatness of this plant."
H. 'Fortunei Hyacinthina' "If any hosta should be called Hosta 'Fortunei', this is it. All of its mound, foliage, and flowering characteristics can be considered typical of the Fortunei Group as a whole. 'Fortunei Hyacinthina' has been one of the most widely grown hostas for landscaping purposes due to its excellent growth rate and durability."
H. 'Fragrant Bouquet' "...ranks high on the popularity poll for its attractively variegated foliage and fragrant flowers. It is also known for being a good grower, making it useful as a colorful ground cover in the landscape."
H. 'Francee' "During the 1980s, 'Francee' replaced 'Undulata Albomarginata' as the most commonly used white-margined host for landscaping purposes. It offers consistent, attractive variegation and a good growth rate."
H. 'Frosted Dimples' "This tremendous cultivar could easily be mistaken for a gold-edged sport of 'Blue Dimples'. With age its corrugation intensifies and the leaf blade broadens."
H. 'Frosted Jade' "...continues to be popular and justifiably so...with all of its good traits and prolific seed pod formation, it is surprising that few hybridizers utilize it."
H. 'Fujibotan' "...'Fujibotan' is a must for any hosta collector. It forms a very attractive mound of clear, deeply veined foliage, and its show of double flowers is simply spectacular...Though it is listed as a  H. montana type, it shows evidence of being a hybrid, possibly with H. sieboldii..."
H. 'Gay Blade' "...'Gay Blade' may be thought of as "the hosta for all seasons". I've seen 'Gay Blade' growing in a variety of gardens across the U.S. From May to October and it always looks great."
H. 'Ghost Spirit' "...can only be considered a tremendous cultivar, due to its beautiful, misted foliage. It does have a tendency to sport white-centered, green edged leaves."
H. 'Gold Regal' "Though 'Gold Regal' was registered thirty-four years ago, I continue to think of it in the upper echelon of hosta cultivars. It can be used in many ways in the landscape, but is most impressive as a specimen plant."
H. 'Gold Standard' "Based on sports alone, 'Gold Standard' could be thought of as the most significant hosta cultivar ever produced...its outstanding growth rate, seasonal color changes, and symmetrical mound habit make it an excellent subject for just about any situation. It also has great durability and good sun tolerance...Still, N Hosta collection is complete without this cultivar..."
H. 'Golden Memories' "As a seedling of 'Sum and Substance' from Kevin Vaughn, no one should question the value of this plant. 'Golden Memories' matures as an attractive mound of rich, gold foliage, making it an ideal specimen plant for the shaded garden."
H. 'Golden Sculpture' "The vase-shaped mound habit and bright gold leav color make 'Golden Sculpture' an ideal specimen or centerpiece plant in the shaded garden."
H. 'Golden Tiara' "When I began working with hostas in the late 1970s, 'Golden Tiara' ranked as a "hot new introduction", being the first small-size hosta with gold-margined leaves. Everyone had to have it. the going price was about $50 per plant, so when I was able to purchase one for $40 at an auction, I felt fortunate. Since that time, 'Golden Tiara' has been widely propagated and is now a common sight in shade gardens."
H. 'Great Expectations' "...its stature in the world of hostas has only increased. A mature specimen has a significant impact on any garden in which it grows. Its only negative is a slow growth rate."
H. 'Great Lakes Gold' "...rates as one of the best gold leaved cultivars with piecrust margins."
H. 'Green Angel' "...represents a first among hostas, being the first green-leaved sport out of a blue-leaved hosta. It is identical to 'Blue Angel' in almost every other way, making an impressive, wide-spreading mound of foliage with an outstanding flower performance."
H. 'Green Dragonette' "This massive mound of shiny, green foliage foliage greatly impressed me...It ranks as one of the largest cultivars in existence."
H. 'Green Fountain' "...can be ranked among the hosta "classics". It continues to be admired for its arching mound of foliage and unusual flowering habits...shows very little resemblance to its registered parents, but comes very close to H. kikutii caput-avis..."
H. 'Guacamole' "...continues to increase in popularity due to its attractive foliage, fragrant flowers, and fast growth rate. In fact, 'Guacamole' and its sports would be an excellent starter collection for those new to hostas."
H. 'Guardian Angel' "This still ranks as one of the best sports developed in the last 20 years. Rick Thompson first told me of this plant in 1993, but my first viewing of it left me awestruck. It makes a spectacular specimen in the shaded landscape and will keep its variegation for much of the season if it receives an hour or two of direct sunlight each day."
H. 'Hakumuo' "This Japanese cultivar is nothing short of spectacular. The sharply contrasting foliage colors, excellent flowers, and good growth rate make this hosta worth including in your collection."
H. 'Heavenly Constellation' "...offers an outstanding combination of color, substance, and growing habits. No two leaves of it are alike, ranging from heavily streaked to white-centered, all-green, and yellow-margined forms. It should be a good plant for producing variegated seedlings in a breeding program as well."
H. 'Halcyon' "If you are limited to only one Tardiana by law, or for that matter, one blue-leaved hosta, then 'Halcyon'should be your choice. It probably best exemplifies what Eric Smith was after when he hybridized 'Tardiflora' with H. sieboldiana 'Elegans', i.e. fast growing, medium-size, blue-leaved hostas...a great source of sports and is a superior breeding plant...I have always thought that if someone wanted to develop an evergreen hosta, they should start with 'Halcyon'."
H. 'High Noon' "...is a Mildred Seaver of Massachusetts introduction and was originally called 'Sea Tail' and 'Sea High Noon'. It made such a sensation at the 1987 American Hosta Society national convention that a plant of 'High Noon' sold for a record-breaking $700 at that year's auction."
H. 'Hippodrome' "...combines the best of both parents and makes a striking specimen plant. Particularly attractive is the neatly rippled, creamy yellow margin."
H. 'Honeybells' "...ranks as the first  hosta hybrid developed and introduced for sale in the United States. It is still considered a good landscaping plant due to its fast growth rate and nicely fragrant flowers."
H.' innisjade' "...makes an excellent, slug-resistant ground cover in the landscape and looks great in combination with' inniswood'."
H.' Inniswood' "...is greatly admired for its colorful foliage, intense variegation, and good substance. It should be part of every hosta collection."
H. 'June' "...reached the United States in 1992, and from that point forward, it rapidly accelerated to the upper echelon of popularity. Why? Its striking variegation, good growth rate, dense symmetrical mound habit, and slug-resistant substance add up to a winning combination."
H. 'Just So' "...is familiar to almost every hosta enthusiast. It ranks as one of the best small-size cultivars with gold-centered foliage."
H. 'Kabitan' "...should be included on any list of hosta classics. Though it lacks substance, it has been long grown in hosta collections and makes a great edging plant in shade gardens."
H. 'Key West' "...makes a statement in any garden in which it is grown. Its rich coloration and massive size compels observers to stop and admire its magnificence."
H. 'Korean Snow' "The misted and flecked, green and white foliage color lasts for the first half of the growing season, yielding to an attractive shiny green by midsummer. The purple flowers are typical of H. yingeri and are produced in great profusion in late summer. Simply stated, this is a spectacular plant."
H. 'Krossa Regal' "...has become a hosta "classic" for many reasons. The large-size, vase-shaped mound of frosty blue foliage is slug resistant and makes the perfect centerpiece plant for almost any garden."
H. 'Lake Superior' "...a tremendous hosta...its flower performance alone makes it worth growing...one of the rare originations from Mary Chastain of Tennessee not bearing the "Lakeside" designation."
H. 'Lakeside Cindy Cee' "Wow! 'Lakeside Cindy Cee' is another great example of Mary Chastain's ability to produce quality plants. The sharp variegation, shininess, and rippling give this cultivar a winning combination."
H. 'Lakeside Full Tide' "...combines a shiny, dark green color on a large, neatly rippled leaf. Leave space for this plant!"
H. 'Lakeside Paisley Print' "I have heard many a collector sing the praises of 'Lakeside Paisley Print'. I do not know if it is the beautiful variegation or the neatly rippled margin - most likely a combination of the two - that gets everybody talking. It is Mary Chastain's last major introduction."
H. 'Lakeside Sir Logan' "No doubt this has H. yingeri in its background, based on its flowers and the appearance of its foliage. It's one of those unusual hostas that you can't stop looking at. The super-shiny, dark green leaves belie the notion that green-leaved plants can't be exciting."
H. 'Lakeside Ring Master' "...may be one of Mary Chastain of Tennessee 's best."
H. 'Leading Lady' "Based on its merits, 'Leading Lady', by now should be one of the most popular hosta cultivars. It is not. The only possible reason is that its great beauty can only be appreciated at maturity."
H. 'Lemonade' "...has never achieved the popularity it deserves...an outstanding medium-size gold cultivar and makes an excellent contrast to blue-leaved hostas."
H. 'Little Sunspot' "...sensational"
H. 'Louisa' "...has always been a favorite of mine. It makes a great edging plant and offers an attractive combination of white-margined leaves and pure white flowers."
H. 'Love Pat' "Though slow-growing, 'Love Pat'ranks among the best in the blue-green cultivar category. As it matures, the corrugation increases and it becomes somewhat unruly."
H. 'Mesa Fringe' "...should be considered one of the best piecrust type hosta cultivars every introduced."
H. 'Midnight Moon' "I can attest to the beauty of this 'Lakeside Black Satin' sport. The contrast between the dark green leaf center and the irregular, yellow to creamy margin is striking."
H. 'Midnight Oil' "Its combination of shininess, dark green color, and large puckers of corrugation gives 'Midnight Oil' a high level of distinction."
H. montana 'Aureomarginata' "...ranks near the top of any hosta list due to its brightly colored foliage, large size, and attractive flowers. In the landscape it makes an impact and can become a focal point if sited properly."
H. montana f. macrophylla "Of all the green-leaved H. montana forms,...macrophylla is most distinctive. The arching, spreading mound...can both physically and mentally dominate a shade garden."
H. 'Nutty Professor' "...in 2002 when I was shown a picture of a mature specimen. Wow! I had never seen anything like it...it exhibits typical H. hypoleuca foliage (except color), mound, and flowering characteristics."
H. 'Okutama Nishiki' "This turned out to be one of the most beautiful hostas that I observed during a three-week trip to Japan in 1991."

H. 'Outrageous' "Over the last twenty-five years or so, very few hostas have impressed me as much as the Benedicts' specimen of 'Outrageous'...The variegation pattern varied considerably from leaf to leaf, but I think that only added to its character. I'm not sure if I'll ever see another mature clump of 'Outrageous', but the memory of the Benedicts' plant will remain with me for many years to come."
H. 'Pandora's Box' "This tissue culture sport became incredibly popular upon its introduction in the late 1990s. For a white-centered hosta, it has a good growth rate and makes an excellent variegated specimen for the shaded rock garden or trough."
H. 'Paul's Glory' "Any list of "classic" hosta cultivars must include 'Paul's Glory'. In the garden it makes a tremendous specimen plant and offers a significant improvement on 'Gold Standard' by its greater slug resistance. Its good growth rate, attractive variegation, and large size make it useful for many purposes in the landscape."
H. 'Patriot' "...ranks as the first recognized tetraploid  hosta sport...it has become the most popular white-margined hosta for landscaping purposes."
H. 'Piedmont Gold' "...ranks as one of the premier large, gold leaved hosta cultivars...does not develop the spring desiccation burn that afflicts other golden H. sieboldiana types."
H. 'Pineapple Punch' "When I first viewed this plant during the 2005 "First Look" seedling and sport competition, I was enthralled with it. Competition judges voted it the best sport at that meeting, and deservedly so! The beautiful creamy margins accentuate its rippled effect, making for a spectacular plant."
H. 'Powder Blue' "This cultivar holds true to its name with its intensely blue foliage color. Also great are its substance, corrugation, and large size mound size."
H. 'Queen Josephine' "Its good growth rate and distinct variegation make 'Queen Josephine' an outstanding choice as a ground cover or specimen plant. Its substance is thicker than that of 'Neat Splash', the pod parent of 'Josephine'."
H. 'Red Dragon' "Of the thousands of hostas I viewed in 2007, this ranks near the top of my list of favorites...What I like about 'Red Dragon' is the way its spreading mound of light green foliage acts as a foil to the pendulous, richly colored scapes and purple flowers in late summer. For the most part, the scapes lie on the foliage at the peak of bloom, creating an effect seen in few hostas."
H. 'Regal Ruffles' "...has not achieved the popularity that it deserves. In the garden, it forms a magnificent, wide mound of neatly rippled foliage."
H. 'Regal Splendor' "...matures as a spectacular, vase-shaped mound of foliage but with variegation. The width of the leaf margin varies from plant to plant..."
H. 'Resonance' "...makes an excellent low ground cover, offering attractively variegated foliage and a good growth rate. It was one of the breeding plants that Wm and Eleanor Lachman utilized and is in the background of 'Crusader', 'Emerald Crown', 'Gay Blade', and 'Tambourine'..."
H. 'Robert Frost ' "A truly impressive plant for its large size mound of foliage with very wide, creamy white borders, 'Robert Frost' is another fine Wm and Eleanor Lachman of Massachusetts introduction."
H. 'Royal Mouse Ears' "...may be the best small-size streaked cultivar. It would look great in a trough in combination with 'Blue Mouse Ears' or 'Green Mouse Ears."
H. 'Sagae' "This cultivar, long admired in Japan, can now be considered a hosta "classic" in American gardens. Its large, vase-shaped mound habit makes it the ideal background or specimen plant...It is difficult to propagate by tissue culture, with low multiplication rates and high numbers of "offtype" plants the norm."
H. 'Saishu Jima' "...may be the most well-known dwarf-size hosta cultivar. It makes a neat, low mound of foliage that is useful as an edger, low ground cover, or in troughs."
H. 'Sea Frolic' "It makes a fabulous mound of piecrust-edged foliage that can be used as a background plant or large ground cover. Hybridizers wishing to add rippled edges to their seedlings should consider adding 'Sea Frolic' to their breeding program."
H. 'Sea Prize' "In the garden, 'Sea Prize' makes an interesting, highly variegated specimen plant and has been easier to maintain as the true plant than many other streaked cultivars. It has become an important breeding plant, yielding a high percentage of variegated seedlings. The late Ed Elslager, in particular, relied heavily on 'Sea Prize' in his breeding program. He registered forty cultivars with 'Sea Prize' as the pod parent."
H. 'Sergeant Pepper' "N Hosta collection is complete without 'Sergeant Pepper'. Its combination of a wide gold margin and light green center is a rarity, and it exhibits a good growth rate, reaching maturity about three or four years after planting."
H. 'Shade Fanfare' "Its bright variegation and fast growth rate make 'Shade Fanfare' a popular choice for ground cover purposes."
H. 'Sharp Dressed Man' "This is one that should be on everyone's favorites list."
H. 'Shining Tot' "Over the years, 'Shining Tot' has proven to be a premier dwarf-size hosta. It can be successfully grown in troughs, as well as in the shaded rock garden. Hybridizers have found it to be a superior breeding plant, producing dwarf-size seedlings with good substance. Overall, it is much like H. pulchella in both foliage and flower."
H. 'Shirley Vaughn' " Dr. Kevin Vaughn named this superior cultivar for his mother. Not only does it offer attractively variegated foliage, but it has a fast growth rate, an interesting flower habit, and good durability in the garden. It certainly belongs on any list of the top 100 hostas."
H. 'Silver Bay' "The intensity of blue coloration in 'Silver Bay' is quite impressive. Add to that intense corrugation, an unruly nature, and thick substance and you have a cultivar that should rank near the top of any list of best blue hostas. Thank you Don Dean for developing this plant!."
H. 'Skylight' "My listed measurements from a less-than-mature specimen are already larger than the registration dimensions. Regardless of size, 'Skylight'offers very thick, slug resistant foliage in an incredibly blue color and is worth including in any collection."
H. 'So Sweet' "...has long been one of the top hostas for landscaping purposes...fast growth rate."
H. 'Solar Flare' "Given good conditions, 'Solar Flare' becomes a magnificent, mammoth-size plant that can be the focal point of any shaded landscape. By now it should be gracing every shade garden, certainly every host collection, but that is not the case. After Henry Ross was granted the patent for 'Solar Flare' in 1989, a few companies were granted permission to market it. When they stopped offering it, 'Solar Flare' became a rare find...In 2006 my nursery (Q&Z Nursery, Inc.) began offering it to the wholesale market and it's once again available."
H. 'Spilt Milk' "...rates as one of Mildred Seaver's greatest introductions and has been very popular amongst collectors, gardeners and nurserymen alike...The variegation varies a bit from plant to plant, some exhibiting a bit more misting, others developing large white streaks."
H. 'Spotlight' "Its semi-upright mound habit and bright gold color makes 'Spotlight' an ideal specimen plant in the shade garden. The foliage color intensifies with some direct sunlight, sometimes lightening to whitish gold. The only negative is that the scapes tend to droop, but if they become unsightly, they can be easily removed."
H. 'Spring Fling' "...certainly is one of the best hosta introductions of the last decade. Its white margin sharply contrasts the green center and its effect is enhanced by the intense, regular rippling."
H. 'Stained Glass' "This incredible plant improves on 'Guacamole', its mother plant, by a much brighter gold center. Its overall size is smaller and the growth rate a bit slower, but that only matters when comparing the two. At its peak in midsummer, the bright gold leaf center of 'Stained Glass' outshines just about any other hosta cultivar making it an ideal choice as a specimen plant (surround it with 'Guacamole'?)."
H. 'Standing Ovation' "This exceptional Kevin Vaughn introduction offers gold-edged H. sieboldiana-type foliage in a large, semi-upright mound. The gold edges are non-burning, making it one of the best replacements for 'Frances Williams' in the landscape."
H. 'Stiletto' "...is certainly one of the most recognizable of all hostas. Planted along a pathway, it forms a dense, mini-hedge of attractively rippled, white edged foliage."
H. 'Strip Poker' "...represents the first sport that I ever saw with foliage colors that completely reversed during the growing season."
H. 'Striptease' "...has been very popular among landscapers, gardeners, and collectors alike. Its notably thicker foliage and much wider green margin are the main differences from its mother plant, 'Gold Standard'...displays a narrow band of white between the leaf center and margin...an incredible source of mutations, nearly all through tissue culture."
H. 'Subcrocea' "No collection would be complete without this plant. As I observe hostas, I often use 'Subcrocea' as a standard for comparison purposes."
H. 'Sugar Babe' "...combines the variegation of 'Iron Gate Supreme' with the leaf characteristics and mound habits of 'Saishu Jima'. Add fragrant flowers to that and the result is a superior cultivar that should be more widely grown."
H. 'Sultana' "Bill Zumber found this tissue culture sport...at Klehm Nursery and quickly recognized its value. Its sharply contrasting variegation and dense, symmetrical mound habit rank it near the top of medium-size, gold edged cultivars."
H. 'Sum and Substance' "...helped shape the interest in hostas as shade garden plants...Once specimens began maturing in gardens in the late 1980s, gardeners everywhere took notice...Van Wade of Wade and Gatton Nursery (Closed 2019) of Ohio planted 'Sum and Substance' in his new collection in 1986, and by 1993 it had reached a hosta world record of 48" high by 114" wide...hybrids almost always more closely resemble the other parent...The number of sports that have been generated out of 'Sum and Substance' has been staggering..."
H. 'Summer Breeze' "...one of the best sports developed at my nursery over the last twenty-five years...margin remains an attractive gold color throughout the growing season."
H. 'Sun Power' "Since its introduction in the mid-1980s, 'Sun Power' has achieved widespread popularity and is now one of the most recognized cultivars. Though its reputation as a sun-tolerant hosta has been much exaggerated, 'Sun Power' offers distinctive, bright gold foliage. A properly placed single specimen will be attention-getting."
H. 'Super Bowl' "I'm not sure if Paul Aden of New Yorkever appreciated the value of this outstanding cultivar...one of the best cupped hosta cultivars, it is beautifully corrugated, thick-substanced, and attractive in flower."
H. 'Tiny Bubbles' "Every time I see this cultivar in a garden setting, I am impressed."
H. 'Tiny Tears' "This has become one of the premier dwarf host cultivars. Though 'Tiny Tears' barely differs from the commonly grown form of H. venusta, its name has boosted its popularity. It can be successfully used as a low edger, but makes an even better trough plant."
H. 'Tokudama Aureonebulosa' "What a plant! Despite its slow growth rate, 'Tokudama Aureonebulosa' ranks highly for its interesting, multi-colored foliage that is also very slug resistant."
H. 'Tokudama Flavocircinalis' "...ranks highly amongst all hosta cultivars and is considered a classic. It makes a great specimen plant or ground cover and has a faster growth rate than most Tokudamas. The gold edge of 'Tokudama Flavocircinalis' does not bur in the spring, so it can be used as a substitute for 'Frances Williams'.
H. 'Uncle Albert' "...an outstanding breeding plant, but its beautifully rippled, shiny green foliage also makes it a valuable garden specimen."
H. 'Unforgettable' "The ratio between mound height and mound width for the average hosta is 1 to 2˝. Vase-shaped plants often fall into a 1 to 2 or 1 to 2.3 range. Amazingly the mound height to width ratio for 'Unforgettable' is 1 to 1.4...combination of a distinctly upright habit with striking gold-margined variegation and an unruly character gives 'Unforgettable' a high level of distinction."
H. ventricosa 'Aureomarginata' "Just the addition of a creamy margin to H. ventricosa created one of the most outstanding hosta cultivars in existence."
H. 'Website' "Its incredible corrugation, unruly character and very thick substance make' website' a cultivar worth growing...With all of its positive genetic traits and the large number of seed pods,' website' would be a good plant to include in a breeding program."
H. 'Xanadu Shining Knight' "The petioles...stand 20 inches high, creating a beautiful vase-shaped mound habit. Its habit and the bright gold foliage color make this a tremendous specimen plant."
H. 'Wylde Green Cream' "...proven to be one of the best gold-centered hostas in the small to medium size range and is now widely grown...striking variegation pattern and fairly fast growth rate."
H. 'Yellow Splash' "...has a significant place in hosta history, both as a garden plant and in breeding programs...It has a tendency to sport, so offtype shoots need to be culled frequently...It was one of the first streaked plants used by hybridizers in the 1970s to produce variegated seedlings."
H. 'Yesterday's Memories'  "How can success be insured when developing a new cultivar? Well, start with a proven mother plant, add a bit of variegation, and voila!, an instant winner. I'm not sure if Hans Hansen looks at things that way, but 'Yesterday's Memories' certainly possesses all of the good traits of 'Squash Casserole' (e.g. rippling, a good growth rate, and great durability) and adds an attractive green margin."
   

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