Anyone growing Hosta venusta or 'Kinbotan'?
In 2018 I picked up a plant labeled H. venusta from a local nursery and my main reason for reaching for it was that it was sporting. I have since grown it on and divided it twice and the variegated form is viridescent. At flowering time the variegation has gone decidedly green and by the end of the season it has darkened to the point where you can no longer distinguish any variegation at all. It's quite vigorous and have started to refer to it provisionally as 'Kinbotan' but that name applies to a venusta seedling, not a sport of the specie. There is no indication that 'Kinbotan' is viridescent that I can find although one of the pictures in the HL does show a green variegation as opposed to the mostly cream you see in the other pictures. If indeed what I have is venusta then it would appear as if I have an as yet unnamed sport.
Here are a few pictures. The first one is from late April and the variegation is creamy.
Here is the same pot shot just a few minutes ago and notice how the creamy variegation has gone almost green.
This plant has put up a scape and there are buds but no flowers as yet. The 2nd pot I have is in a different location and it's a 2-gallon pot so it's a larger plant and it's in bloom.
I have not been able to find any pictures other than what's in the HL of the Kinbotan flowers and it does rather look like what I have but my flowers look somewhat different from what's being shown under venusta and that's what I supposedly have. And I say supposedly because this after all was labelled as being venusta. It's a fair question as to indeed that's what I have, the flowers give me concern.
Pieter
Comments (15)
steve duggins(Z6a) - Central Ohio
last monthPieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked steve duggins(Z6a) - Central OhioRelated Discussions
The Proceed With Caution Hosta List
Comments (21)Some varieties are poor performers almost universally, and many of those have been listed here, but for most there are some people who will have great success with them. Some varieties will do well in certain regions but not in others. Many varieties are quite slow to become established, but if they survive the first 2 years, will take off and grow well. Some varieties are known to revert after a few years. I generally try to avoid those varieties that have a bad reputation from growers in several different areas of the country, and especially those that have not done well for people I know to be excellent gardeners. Medusa, Cascades, Kinbotan, Eskimo Pie, Tattoo and Cat's Eyes are all known to be difficult. Masquerade, Revolution, and most streakers revert. Royal Tiara is a total dud for many, although it survives in my garden. Hart's Tongue is difficult to establish, but fine once it gets going. Uzu-No-Mai probably is the most difficult hosta to grow unless you live in the 2 or 3 counties in the Pacific Northwest where it will survive. Dorothy Benedict is a beautiful plant, but touchy about conditions and absolutely glacially slow to increase. Some varieties are very picky about growing conditions, and unless they are planted in optimum conditions, they will either remain small, or fade away and die. The best example of this I know of is Great Expectations, which also happens to be my favorite hosta. A great many people have lost this one, sometimes more than once. I have three very large mature plants, and they are the prettiest thing in the garden. It took some experimentation, but there are three things that GE absolutely must have to thrive. First, and most importantly, plant it shallowly. It's going to be a very large plant, so the natural inclination is to plant it deeply, but this will kill it faster than anything else. Plant it so shallowly you are convinced that it will tip over, and you've got it right. Secondly, it likes a lot of light. Dappled shade is ideal, but it will take several hours of direct sun, either morning or afternoon. Third, it likes a lot of water. If you give a GE all three of these things, you will increase your chances of growing it into an absolutely stunning plant. If you want to try any of the hostas that have the reputation of being difficult, be prepared to try different locations and growing methods, and possibly go through several plants before you discover what works for that variety in your location. When you do find out what works, please share the information with the rest of us!...See MoreHosta 'Tiny Tears' vs. Hosta venusta
Comments (4)This one is problematic. I've been told that Tiny Tears is really a selection from venusta rather than a hybrid. It may also be venusta x venusta, and since this is a species plant, the offspring should all be venusta, but as anyone knows who has self crossed a hosta species several times, there is sometimes a little bit of variation in the offspring. Ventricosa is a classic example of this--it comes true from seed, but there are a number of ventricosa selections that have been named and registered, and there are very slight differences in these plants. Now here's the real kicker on this one--there are supposedly somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 or 30 "different" venusta forms. In fact, there are people who collect the various venustas. The differences are fairly subtle, but one of the main variations is in size--some venusta is very small, less than 3 inches, and some gets up to 4-6 inches. All are solid green with somewhat heart shaped leaves, and most have a bit of waviness to the leaf. Complicating this issue is the fact that under different conditions, many hostas will grow slightly differently. Factors such as climate, soil type, light levels, and plant competition can all affect the appearance of a hosta. So it's unclear exactly how many "different" venustas there are, but it is clear that there are at least several that are notably different when grown in the same garden. So where does this leave you with your three plants? My answer would be that for the moment, you aren't going to have any idea which might be Tiny Tears and which are venusta. You will have to grow them out for a couple of years and then try to make a determination. In this case, the two that look the most alike will probably be the venusta, since you know there are two of those, leaving the other one as Tiny Tears. What you aren't going to know until then is whether or not Tiny Tears is going to be the smaller of the two hostas. I happen to have a very small 'version' of venusta that reaches about 3 inches, and Tiny Tears in my garden is closer to 5 inches, so it's the bigger of the two. If you have a taller 'version' of venusta, your Tiny Tears might well be the smaller of the two. Only time and patience will tell. There seem to be a number of hosta growers who have sold venusta as Tiny Tears, because it's a more expensive plant, which doesn't help matters any. It is therefore possible that at maturity you will have three identical plants. However your mystery resolves, you will be happy to know that venusta is a wonderful little hosta, incredibly hardy and quite prolific. My clump has been in place for almost 20 years, and at one point was over three feet across. I've since divided off quite a lot, but the clump is still a good 20 inches wide, and very pretty. It's a great edger, looks good all season, and has pretty flowers. So whatever your three plants turn out to be, you will enjoy all of them....See MoreHosta Mini 2017
Comments (38)I love the minis. I owe my entire obsession to dhaven. And now it's on! I have a few and am trying to mix them in with larger hostas as well. Last year, I wanted soe of my minis to stand out from their friends, so I created a raised area for them. I'm looking forward to them filling in this season. Two of my favorites are Baby Bunting and Cherish. But I love them all and have quite a few still on my wish list. I got this BME and friend in one pot at a garden center last Summer. I divided the blue from the other one and planted them separately. I have the Little Hosta Book. It's really wonderful. So is Carolyn's Shade Garden website....See More4 new hosta's - Anyone growing these?
Comments (22)What a big list Josephines, I think I have a small or medium red stalked (petioled) hosta, but, you can't really see the red on it. I love the Stephen King so far, I have had to stake it, though. Steve, my Stephen King is in all shade under my Pin oak, it MAY get a few rays of sun through the branches, but, really it's under the branches a good bit, so I'm guessing all shade. I have never received a Hosta that big, usually when I get a Hosta I get the smallest bit of the plant. Mostly super tiny, my plant of the Empress Wu was so tiny, I can't imagine that little piece ever being huge. I guess that the Stephen King is maybe not ever small? But, then again, if I'd have placed my order in spring, the division may have been much smaller. ANYWAY, it's a nice division, and it shows just how nice and impressive the SK Hosta is....See MorePieter zone 7/8 B.C.
last monthDebra, the most common rhizomatous hosta I can think of would be clausa. From what I gather it can be a bit of a thug in the garden, more or less on par with Lily of the Valley in that respect. I do have one form of clausa and like most of my hostas it's in pots and I can attest to its growth habit as I regularly end up with a runner out of the drainage holes.
A few years ago I un-potted one and just look at the length of that runner, must be over 2 ft.
Pieter
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
last monthlast modified: last monthdebra..I have both Venusta and Clausa..it's Clausa that I'm STILL digging out..getting rid of Clausa seems hopeless 🙁..the term that I saw referring to Clausa is stoloniferous..Clausa is my only hosta that spreads like crazy..
some pics of Venusta today..I intended to take pics when the scapes were new..they were so dainty and adorable..Venusta has grown since I planted it but nothing like Clausa..
a pic standing over it..
a pic from ground level..
an old pic of Clausa..it really is a thug..Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked nicholsworth Z6 IndianapolisPieter zone 7/8 B.C.
last month
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last monthfeel like cleu-so this morning ...
here is the only pic if have of kinbotan
i swear it had other names ...
i did have venusta.. but apparently it ws so uninspiring i never took a pic of it ...
here is Venusta 'Porpter' ..for what that is worth ... i have no clue why it was a named cultivar ...
ken
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
last monthlast modified: last monthPieter..that was tough!..only 3 decent blooms..they're low and small..hard to hold upright without motion Lol..
I hope these are helpful..(pics #3 and #4 are actually not identical so I posted both)..
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis- Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked garyz6ohio
peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
last monthPieter mine of course is the same as yours, including the flowers. The difference in our zones is interesting because mine did not get the variegation until mid July. I was looking yesterday and did not see any as yet.
Just one section shows variegation. Pic was taken July11/21.
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked peren.all Zone 5a Ontario CanadaPieter zone 7/8 B.C.
last monthThank you to all who've contributed their pictures! Upon careful comparison I have come to the conclusion that what I have probably is not either 'Kinbotan' nor another form of venusta as the flowers I have on my plants are different from what I have seen contributed as 'Kinbotan' and from what I have seen as venusta. First off the petals on my flowers are almost recurved, as you can see in the first picture taken today, reminiscent of Martagon lilies almost.
The other difference is in the throat of the flower which shows a different pattern.
And there's also a subtle difference in the shape of the petals, mine are more lanceolate, the ones in the picture Gary contributed are more ovoid in shape. So, the real question now is, what is it that I have?
Pieter
lindalana 5b Chicago