Hosta ID please

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by seagonus, Jun 14, 2011.

  1. seagonus

    seagonus Active Member 10 Years

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    Please help in identifying these hostas:

    Both were purchased at a nursery. The blue one was purchased as T-Rex and the lighter one with dark edges was purchased as Titanic. Neither look the way they are supposed to so I believe they were both mislabeled.

    Please help ID if you can. I realize it is difficult.

    The blue one looks similar to Abiqua Drinking Gourd.

    The lighter one seems to be some sort of a sport of Sum and Substance--large leaves, dappled green margins with lighter center. Perhaps the full sun conditions are making it look different then a regular hosta Titanic grown in the shade?

    Ideas? Earphones on the plant is for scale--it was all I had when photographing.
     

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    Last edited: Jun 14, 2011
  2. SusanDunlap

    SusanDunlap Active Member

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    I am going to guess that 1 and 3 are variants of fortunei and 2 is a variant of Sum & Substance (the waffle pattern on the secopnd one is a characteristic of Sum & Substance.)
     
  3. seagonus

    seagonus Active Member 10 Years

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    I was told on another forum that 1 & 3 (which are the same plants) is Hosta Beckoning.

    I was told the blue one in the center is Hosta Big Daddy.
     
  4. SusanDunlap

    SusanDunlap Active Member

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    My mistake - the waffle pattern is very definitely Big Daddy.

    As for the other, I am always curious to try to unearth the primary species used to create a cultivar. How did they justify the selection of Hosta Beckoning - it does not have the characteristic leaf variegation?
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2011
  5. seagonus

    seagonus Active Member 10 Years

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  6. SusanDunlap

    SusanDunlap Active Member

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    I am guessing it is related to Sum & Substance. As you say, thick leaves with a distinct undulation and grooved veins (minus the waffle). Steve's posting at the above site also illustrates variegation...believe this is a cultivar characteristic.
     
  7. seagonus

    seagonus Active Member 10 Years

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    Sorry, are you saying it is or is not related to Sum and Substance?

    As I said the leaves are very thick. . .almost thicker then the heavy blues, and much heavier as well.

    I think beckoning is a sport of Blue Angel is it not?

    I still think it is a hybrid between some blue and perhaps S & S.

    Either way I really like it. . .just hope it gets larger then 6 feet across.
     
  8. SusanDunlap

    SusanDunlap Active Member

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    I am by no means a Hosta expert - we have only four in our database. That said, yes, I believe it is related to Sum & Substance - looks more like a relative of that than fortunei. If I were to take another guess, it would be that Sum & Substance and Big Daddy are related too - a slight variation in leaf color and venation could easily make them distant cousins from the same parental stock.

    Enjoy. They really are lovely and are lucky to have a very fine care-taker.
     

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