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Hosta 'Fragrant Bouquet'
 

This vigorous growing hosta was originated by Dr. Kevin Vaughn of Massachusetts but registered by Paul Aden of New York in 1982. In 2012, it was re-registered with Vaughn as originator and The American Hosta Society as registrant on his behalf. It is a large size (22 inches high by 48 inches wide) plant with pale green to chartreuse colored leaves that have a creamy yellow marginal variegation.

As its name implies, it has large, very pale lavender, fragrant flowers from August into September and usually does not set viable seeds. It is a hybrid of H. 'Fascination' × H. 'Summer Fragrance' aka 'Fragrant Summer'.

According to The Hostapedia by Mark Zilis (2009), this cultivar "...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."

The New Encyclopedia of Hostas by Diana Grenfell (2009) states: "Increases rapidly. This cultivar was registered as having streaked leaves but all the plants offered for sale have marginal variegation."

This cultivar was the 1998 "Hosta of the Year" by the American Hosta Growers Association.

An article about H. 'Fragrant Bouquet' by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (1996 Vol. 27 No. 1) states that, "Paul (Aden) always has said that a characteristic he wants for his hosta introductions is for them to be easily recognized ten feet away in the garden. He has certainly achieved this with 'Fragrant Bouquet'. To add even more distinction, the near-white flowers are very fragrant. You don't have to stick your nose into the flower to appreciate the scent.

...Three sports have been found by Bob Solberg...H. 'Guacamole' has glossy yellowy chartreuse leaves with a margin somewhat like the color of guacamole. Flowers are fragrant...Another sport is 'Fried Bananas'. It is not variegated. The leaves are shiny yellowy chartreuse. Flowers are fragrant. Solberg says 'Fried Bananas' is good with 'Guacamole'...The third is 'Fried Green Tomatoes'; it's another non-variegated sport having tomato-green foliage. The leaves are frosted in spring and very shiny in summer. Flowers are fragrant also...All three are fast growers. They do best given some direct sun."

Former President of The American Hosta Society, C.H. Falstad comments on the stability of colors in hosta leaves in The Hosta Journal (2006 Vol. 37 No. 1), "Some plants, like the streaked form of 'Fragrant Bouquet'...appear to stabilize so quickly to a margined variegation that few if any hosta collectors who ordered the streaked form have ever seen it. If indeed the streaked form was sent to them, it's joked that it stabilized while being shipped in the mail."

An article by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal  (2014 Vol. 45 No. 1) states that, "The American Hosta Society Cultivar Origination Commission…concluded that Kevin C. Vaughn and the late Florence Shaw should be credited for some of Aden’s registrations…Eight of Paul Aden ’s crème de la crème registrations are credited to Kevin Vaughn as originator and 16 to Florence Shaw…Among them are H. ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ (K. Vaughn – 1982), ‘So Sweet’ (K. Vaughn –1986), ‘Zounds’ (F. Shaw – 1978), ‘Love Pat’ (F. Shaw – 1978), ‘Sum and Substance’ (F. Shaw – 1980) and ‘Blue Angel’ (F. Shaw – 1986)."

In an article in The Hosta Journal (2016 Vol. 47 No 2), the author described this plant's flowers as having a "Strong" fragrance compared to other hostas.


An article by Warren I. Pollack in The Hosta Journal  (2020 Vol. 51 No. 1) titled Doppelgänger Hostas: Fancy Name for Look-alike Hostas, included a long list of hostas which various hostaphiles, published articles or other sources have indicated "look" the same. Some of these are, in fact, the same plant with two or more different names. Others are hostas that vary in some minor trait which is not immediately discernable to the casual observer such as seasonal color variations, bloom traits, ploidy, etc. So, as Warren mentions, hostaphiles may differ as to the plants listed but then, their opinions are based on visual observations and interpretations.

 
H. 'Crystal Moon', H. '' and H. 'Fragrant Bouquet'.

13 16.6
1995 #20
1996 #20
1997 #15
1998 #9
1999 #11
2000 #10
2001 #14
2002 #14
2003 #16
2004 #23
2005 #22
2007 #21
2012 #21  

 

"Available Hatfield Gardens at about $125.00. A medium to large plant with large fragrant white flowers. The chartreuse, yellow, and white variegated leaves are incredibly subtle in their delicate coloration. The plant mounds up as high as it is wide, like a well-arranged bouquet of flowers, and is truly distinctive."

 

"Gerry Anderson, Roy Herold and I were all bowled over by this plant when we saw it for the first time at the 1990 Arnold Arboretum Auction, so we formed a cartel to get it, and it's still a beautiful specimen. I've had it in sun where it thrives. The large, light green leaves are streaked with yellow and white and the thick cream edge gently undulates to form an upright clump that produces huge white, fragrant glooms in August."

 

"It is the color of this hosta that is so good. Bright yellow leaves with a good white edge are an eye-stopper and the very fragrant flowers are a sweet bonus.

 

"A flashy, medium-sized plant with smooth, green leaves that have a wide, white margin, and a good sheen. The flowers are outstanding, too: large, white, and very fragrant. The clump increases rapidly, and although it doesn't look like it has heavy substance, slugs don't seem to bother it. Everybody who sees this in my garden wants it. Klehm Nursery offered it for $125.00 last year, but tissue culture is bringing the price down fast. It should be available from others soon."









 

 

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