I hope it works out for you in a "great" way!!

Lol! Very germane, cear. Here's my 5-year-old.

Cearbhalll- Hope you just planted it this year.... and that it will meet your expectations. I've had at least 4 of them that all began as nice 1 gal plants, only to have them slowly go into the night after 2 or three years. When it grows well it is one of the most beautiful hostas ever. I always had great expectations for that hosta, but it didn't work for me. ;-(

-Babka

Yeah, it's a newbie this year and the smallest plant in my entire yard.

You just about have to be in zone 5 or colder to make that one work for you.

bk

If you left a 5' radius around it in the picture and the plant was 5 years old...them the picture says it all....lol

edit....just saw the 5 yr old posting...lol....that'll teach me not to read all the postings.

who is germane ... lol .. ken

Babka--you might try a Lakeside Cupcake as a substitute for GE. It's a much smaller plant, and should do better in a pot. It has very similar coloration, leaf habit, and plant habit, so will look like GE, only a downsized version. Not the fastest grower, but once it gets some size it's very attractive.

I've seen Great Expectations at several places here but after reading how difficult it can be, I've resisted the tempation. :)

I hope yours does good for you.

another that likes early morning sun, and shade the rest of the day. i have mine on the east side of a pergola.

I don't believe I remember anyone who didn't live in Zone 5 explain how simple it is to grow GE. I don't mean to be ugly, but I believe that one is zone specific.

bk

bkay: you search for GE on garden web in hosta, you will find YEARS of me carping about it, before i discovered its secret desires ...

i am reminded of this … which was on an old GE thread here

I am in zone 5 .... I've had GE Since 2013 ... This year 5 leaves. After July 1st it has done nothing ... Almost like a miniature statue. Last week I dug it up and potted it up with good miracle grow soil. Hoping for a miracle.

I just read dhavens post more carefully, so I'm going to also move to a sunnier spot☀️

Bkay--I don't think it's simple to grow GE unless you are aware of it's rather exacting requirements. It certainly does seem to do very well in zone 5, but I've also seen beautiful GEs in gardens from 3b to 7c. One of my favorites is in the Winter Nursery in Winter WI, about 70 miles south of Duluth, which is right in the middle of 3b.

I'm always amazed at how well you are able to get your hostas to grow in 8a, it's a real accomplishment. But you are probably right that GE isn't ever going to do very well in your area.

I would not even try it. I can' t even imagine that it would grow In a pot in 8a.

I'm no master gardener or expert on hostas. I'm just saying that in about 5 years of reading this forum, it appears to me that most people who have luck with that one are in zone 5. The advice to plant shallow, part sun has been around for a while. I deduce that she likes it where it's cooler.

bk

Another forum member that has good luck with GE and grows fabulous ones is NHL who lives an hour south of me in zone 6. Mine are getting a fair bit of sun this year and were doing well as of a week ago (I have been away)... I am almost expecting crispy hostas tomorrow morning when I will, no doubt, spend hours and hours hand watering each and every hosta - planted and potted. They all have been without water for 5 hot, rainless days straight.

Susan, fwiw I found my GEs grown in more sun (I am one of those zone 5 people) will have almost white centres and a lighter green compared to one grown in more shade...also the leaves will not be as large, with a more bleached look but definitely still very attractive.

Denis/mountainyman in Ireland bought the biggest GE I have ever seen as a "new plant" this year. I can't wait to see it next spring!

GE is very reasonably priced - I would encourage anyone wanting to try one - just to experience its beauty first hand. You don't know how it will do for you unless you try. :D

I received mine as a plug 5 years ago and each year it is a tiny bit bigger from the previous year, so progress is being made, albeit slowly. I bought one last year at a nursery that was larger than my original and I put it in with mine. This year the new one came up the size of plug but the older one continued on as if nothing changed. I'm okay with the original's progress. Better than shrinking! I'm just glad I can have one.

I read somewhere that you have to start off with a strong plug. I think some tissue culture plugs can be very weak. I guess I bought from

a good batch because mine is thriving, even with the loss of its major shade tree this summer. GE, when it's good, it's really good.

Cearbhalll, you had me ROLLING on the floor with your post!

I saved your photo to look at when I want another good laugh.

Cearbhaill that is seriously funny. I had a mini GE like that once. In fact I've had quite a few shrink. I believe ShayNOLA is on to something. Not all TCs are strong plants. Some survive under constant drip irrigation of fertilizer, but once that is cut off they cannot cope.

It's good to know that being in zone 5, I might have a gorgeous GE one day.

I'm glad I did not know it was hard to grow. I ve lost track of names recently but am nearly sure I have one that's at least 2 feet across. Apparently it did not notice when our zone was changed from 5 to 6.

Virtually identical conditions. Small one is nearer a Pig Nut (hickory family); large one nearer a larger pine and was stepped on 6 years ago.

Hi, Jon! They are gorgeous!!! One of mine is well on its way to dormancy already and the smaller-leaved one that I moved this spring is showing signs now too.

Hi Jo, it has been very dry all summer. I water them every once in a while but the drought is taking a toll. The GEs must like it where they are although the smaller one isn't growing well, or it just looks bad next to the larger one.

They sure look content where you planted them. Sure must be gratifying to be able to grow them so well. (Hope your recent serpentine bed is doing well with its new hostas.)

It is doing well. Each morning there are 10-12 turkeys roaming around. They dig around for insects and bend some of the stems and scratch others. The Cha Chas having such tall stems (divisions) have them bent over quite often (just messy). The Frosted Jades are absolutely gorgeous. Next spring the CCs will fill in and I expect the design will become more obvious.

There are many stories of people getting 'attacked' by turkeys. Shasta and I surprised a big Tom with his harem one day and he reared up with his claws at us. He was very big, but Shasta was chomping at the bit to get at him. They flew of in a real hurry, they didn't want any part of her.

Like many wild animals (and people), if you show fear it emboldens them.

Good dog, Shasta! Friends of mine have acreage (and hostas!;-) and I often see wild turkeys off in the distance. My son-in-law would be hunting them, lol.

Glad to hear the Frosted Jades are pleasing you and that in general the bed is coming along. I'd be having some if I had more land to be sure. Would you believe that since I joined the forum (3yrs.now) I have always admired Lakeside Cha Cha - the first picture in a Google search has me drooling...so pretty.

Cearbhaill, I have digressed in my chat with Jon but have not forgotten the subject at hand in the slightest. You just talk to that little GE of yours and whether it be praise or threat, no doubt we will all be anticipating its appearance in the spring. ;-).

This is the smaller one of mine but both were same size two years ago....smaller leaves but more vigour in the sun.

The taller one, even though it is plain ugly already and halfway there to dormancy...has leaves at least twice the size of these. I've lost two now since I won't leave them alone. Think I'd learn but I like to experiment, lol. Hmmmm, I haven't tried growing one on in a pot yet.....time to visit the nursery. There must be fall sales galore. ;-)