Species hosta up about 4' already

13 years ago

When I was cleaning up some leaves in the woods today I found a species something-or-other hosta up about 4" already. No clue what it is, S/M plant I plucked out of a pile of random pots that had lost their tags, cheap ($1) at a local nursery remainder sale a few years ago. I remember the pot was packed and I divided it up and spread it around. Solid green with purple flowers, but that isn't saying much, lol! Sure is early, tho!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (14)

KaylyRed
13 years ago
Hehe...your subject says 4 FEET instead of inches. I was thinking that must be some hosta. 'Empress Wu' has nothing on that one. ;)

Lancifolia (a strappy greeny with purple flowers) always comes up very early for me. I've been tempted to yank out the ones that came with our house to make room for more impressive hostas (while keeping at least one), but the one I removed and tossed on a pile of dirt and rocks not only survived all summer with no water and its roots exposed but will probably be back this season. It's hard not to admire its tenacity.
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
13 years ago
If indeed it is a Hosta specie, it could well be a form of H. clausa.

Here are a couple of 2 gallon pots with it, taken February 27th.

For comparison with yours, here's a shot of the flower.

This particular one is H. clausa var. normalis.

Pieter
Related Discussions
Hostas already going dormant
Q
Comments (6)
Hi Deanna: Same here and we are in Zone 7 in Northern CA. We have had cool nights all summer long however and in the past month as low as 35, 36 degrees at night. When I woke up Thursday morning it was a balmy 38 degrees. The hostas in the wettest most shaded places area holding up better but those in the dryer beds are starting to fade despite daily watering. A strange year of weather indeed. Kate
...See More
New hosta #4 on the rebuilding my hosta patio garden 2014 project
Q
Comments (9)
Thanks everyone! I think I like it a lot? It's different and "unique" it adds its own something special to my hosta garden for sure! I wasn't sure I would like it so I debated on it for a few minutes but $5 was too good a deal to pass up just because of some barely noticeable frost damage! I relocated it into Luna Moth's old pot. It's bigger. I ordered Cherry Berry today, so I'll need the smaller one I had it in for her. The pot it's in now should (hopefully) last a couple of years? I put it in front because it says it's more sun tolerant. If that's wrong, I can always move it later but for now, it's good.
...See More
4 hostas in bloom and 5 more about to bloom *pic heavy*
Q
Comments (6)
No just annoying and right by my door, so many get in as soon as I open it. :-( So I have a couple around to keep them away because they are nasty. And they attract those wasp that like to kill them, too. So 2 birds, 1 stone, so to speak. I notice with them gone, more butterflies and hummingbirds come up.
...See More
Hosta species/light tables??
Q
Comments (4)
The best you are going to be able to do on this is a list of hostas that are more sun-tolerant. The reason for this is the multitude of factors that affect "sunlight." 1. latitude... sun is "stronger" the lower your latitude. In Europe or the norther US and Canada, hostas can grow in full sunlight that would burn up just a couple hundred miles farther south. 2. Time of day. The sunlight at 9 AM has to pass through a lot more atmosphere than the sunlight at noon. 3. Afternoon sunlight is "stronger" than morning sunlight. This is due to the temperatures (usually) being significantly hotter in the afternoon hours, putting the plant under lots more stress. Thus, though the sunlight at 10 AM Daylight Savings Time is theoretically the same amount of radiation as the sunlight at 4 PM (1 PM Daylight is "High Noon" in terms of solar radiation)... the sun at 4 PM is considerably more stressful than the sun at 10 AM. General guidelines... Morning sun is good for all hostas. Nothing wants to grow in total darkness. Hostas don't like deep shade - they just do better there than almost anything else. Dappled, bright shade all day long is probably the ideal situation for virtually all hostas. No hosta, at most latitudes in the US, wants to be in full sun during the peak period... say noon to 2 PM. Some will do OK under those conditions if well watered, but even those would prefer a little break at midday. Afternoon sun is better than midday sun... but morning sun is still the best if there is going to be direct sun on a hosta. In general, the species plantaginea carries the best sun tolerance of all the species. More importantly, breeding plantaginea into hosta lines often carries the combination of sun tolerance, shiny leaves, and large fragrant white (or near-white) flowers. The best sun-tolerant family, in my opinion, stems from Fragrant Bouquet. There are new ones in this line every day... it has gone through mutiple generations... some of the names are Guacamole, Avocado, Holy Mole, Stained Glass, Cathedral Windows, Sweet Innocence, Fragrant Queen... lots more - all sun-tolerant with fragrant flowers. And some of the old landscaping varieties... the kinds people chop up and give away... are often among the most tolerant. The ones you see in neighbors yards in lots of sun doing fine, if they are in significant numbers, are likely to be good old undulatas... The white-centered undulatas are sometimes called "cemetary hostas" as they can tolerate the sun and lack of watering and care that is the norm in many cemetaries.
...See More
mosswitch
Original Author
13 years ago
I do have lancifolia, and clausa, and it isn't either of them. My clausa isn't even up yet. Your plant looks as if it is ready to go adventuring!

The leaves aren't strappy. And not that dark a purple flower, more mid-range lavender, open, not closed like clausa. I'm thinking maybe a Japanese species of some sort, the nursery where I bought it did have some of those. It's a bit of a ground cover type. I would describe it as just an "ordinary" green leaf. I don't have a picture of it yet this year.

4' huh, I see that! Guess I didn't have my finger on the shift key! Well that's what I get trying to type with a cat on my lap, lol!
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
perhaps a picture will get us a little further than the intense description of 'a green hosta' ...

holy moses.. in my collection i have at least 250 green hosta with a purple flower ...

4 inches in z6 in mid march???? .... are you sure it isnt a lily of the valley .. based on the words alone.. its a viable option ... or solomons seal ...

ken
harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania
13 years ago
Skunk Cabbage?

Sorry, but it does look the same as it emerges in early spring.
in ny zone5
13 years ago
Mine is 5 ft up and blooming yellow, eh, that is my young yellow Witch Hazel (hamamelis), telling me that spring is here. Lesson learned is that my red-brown blooming hamamelis does not show up against the brown earth.

Otherwise no sight of any hostas here in zone 5a, but a lot of daffodils coming out and a lot of debris from white pines. Robins are here, one river is free of ice, farmer's fields have no snow, except my whole frontyard is still snow, temperatures are now 40s and 50s.
Bernd
mosswitch
Original Author
13 years ago
No, not a lily of the valley (not up yet) or skunk cabbage, which I don't even have here in my dry Missouri Ozark garden. It's definitely a hosta. Not solomon's seal, either. Those are just barely poking up,and none in the area where this hosta is.

I many never identify it, and that's ok. There are SOOOOO many with that plain Jane description. It is just a curiousity, up so early.

When I get a picture, I'll try posting it if I can get Picassa to cooperate with any means of posting pictures on here. If not, in my blog with a link.
mosswitch
Original Author
13 years ago
Beautiful withc hazel, Bernd. What variety? I have the native one and the leaves hang on all winter, so the flowers are almost invisible. Might have to get another that doesn't do that.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
ya know witchy .. i was pulling your leg ...

did you get any sense of that ..

i presumed you knew a hosta when you saw one.. lol

i will await the pix ....

ken
mosswitch
Original Author
13 years ago
Three Junes that I put into the ground in February are up almost as big. Of course, it is a sun-catching spot!

I know, Ken. Just giving you back as good as. I did take a picture this morning.
in ny zone5
13 years ago
mosswitch -
no, I could not find any label to that hamamelis. it is some not too tall growing cultivar, perhaps 6 years old from a now-closed nursery on Long Island, NY. Greer Gardens has hamamelis, and it is probably Hamamelis x intermedia -Arnold Promise-. Mine does not grow fast.

The red flowering witch hazel, the flowers of which are not well to see against a brown background, is probably Hamamelis x intermedia -Diane-. That probably needs to grow a lot to be noticed.

Those witch hazels bloom here 1 month ahead of forsythia.
Bernd
mosswitch
Original Author
13 years ago
Just for you, Ken!

Here is a link that might be useful: early hosta
mosswitch
Original Author
13 years ago
And heeere's June!

Here is a link that might be useful: June
jel48
13 years ago
Very Nice!

I hate this time of year!

'Cause I'm jealous. Mine are still under a whole lot of snow!

Species hosta up about 4' already

Comments (14)

KaylyRed

Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.

Related Discussions

mosswitch
Original Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania

in ny zone5

mosswitch
Original Author

mosswitch
Original Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

mosswitch
Original Author

in ny zone5

mosswitch
Original Author

mosswitch
Original Author

jel48

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Species hosta up about 4' already

Comments (14)

Related Discussions

mosswitchOriginal Author

mosswitchOriginal Author

mosswitchOriginal Author

mosswitchOriginal Author

mosswitchOriginal Author

mosswitchOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mosswitch
Original Author

mosswitch
Original Author

mosswitch
Original Author

mosswitch
Original Author

mosswitch
Original Author

mosswitch
Original Author