Those are the people in Australia. It always helps to at least see what is out there in the world. Lynn McKamey wrote a book and had a nursery that sold about 5 different dwarf greens and 3 or 4 variegated ones. Back in 84' I had a living room full of about 20 of Lynn's plants. Many of them died over time. I left them outside in the 89' freeze which killed 8 foot regular Raphis plants down to the ground. The ones that were left got mixed up in all the other plants and just a few years ago, I went through my whole place and got them gathered up. I found the old zuko lutino, a couple of zukonoshikis and a couple of greens, daruma, and tensan. My problem was that Lynn's book talked about keeping them in small pots, half fertilizing them, and not watering them very often. When I bought all those I just had a regular job. I never thought I would later own a plant nursery. So later on, when I found these plants, I realized I should just grow them like regular Raphis plants, and since then, they have grown great and produced more offsets. Now they are doing great. Back then, the smallest zukonoshiki would have a single stem that was about 8 inches tall and cost $75. If you wanted one that had a couple of small additional offsets would be about $125. They have gone down a bit, but they are still sort of hard to find. Usually just checking out eBay comes up with a winner every once in a while. There are some right now from Thailand, but there are people in the US that have therm available at times. I really love these little plants, and now that I have figured out how to grow them well, I'll even be expanding my collection in the future.

Gesila, was one of your 12th plants WHIRLWIND? It sure looks like it to me. And your pipping Flemish Skys and Lakeside Cupcake show why they are so popular with everyone. Oh, sigh, I hope mine do nicely this year, so I can get even more involved with hosta. Maybe along about September, before the nurseries all shut down and have sales, I can get a few more. We'll see. At any rate, THOSE TWO GORGEOUS PLANTS are at the top of the list, solely on the basis of their gorgeous eyes.

Sue, Here's my list of glossy-leaved hostas. The ones that are shiniest are indicated with an asterisk. Let me know if anyone has any additions or comments. Thank you. Don GLOSSY-LEAVED HOSTAS *extremely glossy Abiqua Jim Dandy *ÂAbiqua Recluse ÂAcademy Mavrodaphne ÂAcademy Shiny Vase alismifolia ÂAustin Dickinson ÂAutumn Joy ÂBeauty Substance ÂBennie McRae ÂBest Man ÂBetsy King ÂBetty ÂBig Puck ÂBirchwood ParkyÂs Gold ÂBlue Prince ÂBlue Princess ÂBobbie Sue ÂBorder Bandit ÂBorsch #3 ÂBottle Glass ÂBottom Line ÂBridegroom ÂBubba ÂButternut Hill ÂCalamity Jane ÂCanadian Shield ÂCandy Hearts ÂCanterbury Tales ÂCarolina Sunshine cathayana ÂChallenger ÂChampion ÂChange of Tradition ÂCherries Jubilee ÂChickadee (Avent) ÂChildhood Sweetheart ÂChivalry ÂChristmas Cup ÂCinnamon Sticks ÂCitation *ÂCity Slicker ÂClassic Delight clausa ÂClokei ÂCody ÂColesburg Frogger ÂConcord ÂCordelia ÂCorkscrew ÂCreature from the Green Lagoon ÂCrusader ÂCurls ÂDaisyÂs Mom ÂDarwinÂs Standard ÂDavid A. Haskell ÂDaybreak ÂDon Stevens *ÂDevon Green ÂDiana Remembered ÂDionysos ÂDixie Chick ÂDon Juan ÂDon Quixote ÂDon Stevens ÂDouble Vision ÂDust Devil ÂEarly Times ÂElatior ÂEmbroidery ÂEmerald Crown ÂEmerald Gem ÂEmerald Necklace *ÂFagen ÂFairway Green ÂFalling Waters ÂFlower Power ÂFortunei Obscura ÂFountain ÂFourth of July ÂFried Bananas ÂFried Green Tomatoes ÂFroggy ÂFrost Bite ÂFrosted Mouse Ears ÂFruhlingsgold ÂGala ÂGaucamole ÂGeisha ÂGleaming Glory ÂGlorious ÂGold Banner ÂGolden Anniversary ÂGosan Gold Midget gracillima ÂGrand Slam ÂGreen Acres ÂGreen Fountain ÂGreen Lantern ÂGreen Machine ÂGreen Platter ÂGreen Sheen ÂGreen Velveteen ÂGreen Wedge ÂHarpoon ÂHeaven Scent ÂHirao Majesty ÂHirao Splendor ÂHis Honor ÂHollyÂs Dazzler ÂHollyÂs Honey ÂHollyÂs Shine ÂHollyÂs Velvet Piecrust ÂHoneybells ÂHoosier Harmony *hypoleuca ÂIce Cream ÂInnovation *ÂInvincible ÂIron Gate Glamour ÂIron Gate Supreme ÂIwa ÂJingle Bells *ÂJoseph *ÂJosephine ÂKelsey kikutii kikutii caput-avis kikutii ÂKifukurin Hyuga kikutii leuconata ÂKinbuchi Tachi ÂKira ÂKisuji ÂKomame Albomarginata ÂKorean Snow *ÂKryptonite ÂLady Isobel Barnett ÂLakeside Accolade ÂLakeside Black Ice ÂLakeside Black Satin ÂLakeside Coal Miner ÂLakeside Dark Dancer ÂLakeside Ebony Echoes ÂLakeside Emerald Lights ÂLakeside Explosion ÂLakeside Lollipop ÂLakeside Looking Glass ÂLakeside Meadow Ice ÂLakeside Premier ÂLakeside Roy El ÂLakeside Slick Chick ÂLakeside Sparkle Plenty ÂLakeside Twiddle Dee ÂLavender Lace *ÂLeather Sheen ÂLily Pad *ÂLittle Blue ÂLittle Bo Peep ÂLodestar longipes longipes latifolia ÂLucille ÂMaekawa ÂMajestic ÂMetallica ÂMid Afternoon ÂMidnight Moon ÂMidnight Oil ÂMikado ÂMikawa-no-Yuki ÂMing Treasure ÂMinuteman ÂMistress Mabel montana montana macrophylla ÂMoonlight Little Dipper *ÂMoonlight Sonata ÂMustang Sally *ÂNapoleon ÂNiagara Falls ÂNick Balash ÂNirvana ÂNorwalk Chartreuse ÂObsession ÂOld Coot ÂOlgaÂs Shiny Leaf ÂOne ManÂs Treasure ÂOlgaÂs Shiny Leaf ÂOoshima-jishi Hachijo ÂParadigm ÂParhelion ÂParty Time ÂPatent Leather ÂPauline ÂPeppermint Ice ÂPeridot ÂPeter The Rock ÂPiccadilly Finale ÂPlacemat plantaginea plantagenea ÂAphrodite plantaginea var. Chingbanyuzan plantaginea ÂMing Treasure plantaginea ÂVenus plantaginea var. japonica ÂPlug Nickel ÂPlumb Bob *ÂPolished Jade ÂPotomac Pride ÂPrairie Magic ÂPrima Donna ÂPucker Up *ÂQueen Josephine ÂQuilted Hearts ÂRachel ÂRain Forest ÂRainbow Falls ÂRainbowÂs End ÂRaleigh Remembrance ÂRazzle Dazzle ÂRed Sox ÂRed Stepper ÂReflecting Pool ÂRevolution ÂRhapsody in Blue ÂRingtail ÂRippled Honey ÂRisa ÂRising Sun ÂRock Princess ÂRosedale Spoons ÂRoyal Standard ÂRoyal Super ÂRuby Slippers ÂRudolph rupifraga ÂRustyÂs Glimmer ÂSaishu Jima ÂSanta Claus ÂSatin and Silk ÂSatin Beauty ÂSavannah ÂSavannah Supreme ÂSea Bunny ÂSea Lotus Leaf ÂSee Saw ÂSentinels ÂSeth Becker ÂShade Finale ÂShawmut ÂShimmering Silk ÂShining Tot ÂShiny Penny ÂShiny Substance ÂShirley Vaughn ÂShow Stopper sieboldii ÂAlba sieboldii spathulata ÂSilberfeil ÂSimple Division ÂSioux ÂSir Logan ÂSitting Pretty ÂSleepy Hollow *ÂSlick Willie ÂSlurpee ÂSmokey ÂSmoothie ÂSo Sweet ÂSoft Shoulders ÂSoul Brother ÂSpotlight ÂStiletto ÂStingray ÂSugar Plum Fairy ÂSum and Substance ÂSum It Up ÂSum of All ÂSum Total ÂSunami ÂSunbeam Green ÂSurfer Dude ÂSurrender ÂSweet Bo Peep ÂSweet Susan ÂSweet Winifred ÂSweetness ÂSwirling Hearts ÂTaffeta takahashii ÂGosan ÂTall Paul ÂTama No Yuki ÂTamaryu Iwa *ÂTambourine ÂTardiflora ÂTatsumak ÂTemple Bells ÂTerpsichore ÂThe Hulk tibae ÂTitanic ÂTossed Salad ÂTotally Wacky ÂTracyÂs Emerald Cup ÂTrade Winds ÂTreasure Island ÂTucker Valentine ÂTweety Bird ÂTylerÂs Treasure ÂUndulata Erromena ÂValerieÂs Vanity ventricular ÂVenus ÂVictory ÂVim and Vigor ÂWarpath ÂWarwick Ballerina ÂWarwick Sheen ÂWatermelon Rind ÂWet Umbrellas ÂWhiskey Sour ÂWhite Fairy ÂWhite Knight ÂWhite Shoulders ÂWily Willy ÂWinter Snow ÂWoodland Blue ÂWrinkles and Crinkles ÂXanadu Sommer Time ÂYakushima Mizu ÂYellow River ÂYin yingeri ÂYoshie ÂZoundsÂ

I know---very well---the effects of maple tree roots on plants. My whole backyard is filled with roots of two VERY large maple trees. Needless to say, I struggle to grow anything there! What I understand is that the tree roots extend beyond the canopy of the tree. Also, the roots are not necessarily evenly dispersed around the tree. So I find areas that are better for planting and have less roots. But if you plant near a maple tree---and water that area very well---that's exactly where the maple tree will try to grow more roots because that is where the moisture is! It's hard to outsmart a maple tree! For me, I also need to consider water drainage on my property. When we get a lot of rain, where does the water flow to? That's where a lot of maple tree roots will be. So what grows well under a maple tree for me? Not much when you get to the size my trees are. There are only three plants that come to mind: Sweet Woodruff (considered invasive here, but not for me!); lancifolia (which grows, but not to its full size) and lamium. I was surprised to see heuchera mentioned, but I do have a spot where they are growing. I also have a European ginger in a pot to plant. But I thought they need more moisture. We'll see.