• There are forty four species of hosta growing in the wild, none of them in Britain. One, H. clausa, never opens its flowers.
  The Genus Hosta by W. George Schmid (Batsford) ,New Flora of the British Isles by Clive Stace (CUP)
  
  
• The name Hosta was coined in 1812 and commerorates Nicolaus Thomas Host, an Austrian physician. Hostas have also been called Aletris and Funkia.
  The Genus Hosta by W. George Schmid (Batsford), http://www.hortsource.com/gardenerseedmain.htm
  
  
• Seven hundred and forty nine hosta varieties are available in Britain, although there are 3008 hosta names in circulation and 2296 registered varieties.
  Varieties: www.rhs.org.uk/plantfinder (counted those available)
  Names: http://users.skynet.be/hostamania/allnames.htm, Those registered: pers. comm. Jim Wilkins, American Hosta Society registrar.
  
  
• Twenty seven varieties, just 3.6%, have been accoladed with the RHS Award of Garden Merit
  The Plantfinder (DK)
  
  
• The largest hosta is ’ÄòDevon Giant’Äô, which reaches 6ft/1.8m high and 23/4ft/85cm across with leaves 15in/38cm long. The smallest is ’ÄòTiny Tears’Äô, which is just 2in/5cm high, reaches 4in/10cm in diameter and has leaves 11/2in/3.8cm long.
  Largest: pers. comms Diana Grenfell and Roger Bowden.
  Smallest: pers. comm. Diana Grenfell and The Genus Hosta by W. George Schmid (Batsford)
  
  
• Britain’Äôs most prolific hosta breeder is, Eric Smith, who raised fifty five varieties; America’Äôs most prolific, Paul Aden, is associated with two and hundred and fifteen - and still counting.
  Pers. comm; Tim Saville, America Hosta Society librarian
  
  
• Just three of America’Äôs most twenty popular hostas were raised in Britain. Top of the list was ’ÄòSagae’Äô.
  http://www.hosta.org/Hosta%20Lists.htm, cross-referenced with The Genus Hosta by W. George Schmid (Batsford), Hosta - the Flowering Foliage Plant by Diana Grenfell (Batsford) and Plant Delights nursery catalogue at http://www.plantdelights.com.
  
  
• There are four National Hosta Collections, in Worcestershire, Yorkshire, Devon and Hampshire. Roger Bowden in Devon has the most varieties with a staggering 847 different species and varieties. The largest public collection in the USA, at the Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Iowa has fewer, but still impresses with over 700 varieties.
  National collections: pers.comm. Martin Smith of the NCCPG, USA: http://www.hort.iastate.edu/pages/conshort/iagrdns.html
  
  
• The British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society has 414 members of which 303 have a particular interest in hostas. The American Hosta Society has 3300 members.
  BHHS: pers. comm. Lynda Hinton of the BHHS, AHS: pers. comm. Lu Treadway of the AHS
  
  
• There are sixty three websites in the Hosta and Ornamental Grass Enthusiasts webring.
  http://nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?ring=hostasgrasses&id=10&list
  
  
• The 2001 Hosta of the Year was the British-bred ’ÄòJune’Äô, the 2002 winner is ’ÄòGuacamole’Äô.
  http://www.hostagrowers.org/ahga_hosta.html
  Gardeners Guide to Growing Hostas by Diana Grenfell (David & Charles
  
  

Hosta Banter

PLAY THAT FUNKIA MUSIC, WHITE BOY… I beg your pardon?
AREN’ÄôT WE DISCUSSING FUNKIAS? Oh, I see… well, yes and no. They were called funkias decades ago but in 1905 the name was changed to Hosta.
(The Genus Hosta by W. George Schmid (Batsford))
BUT THEY’ÄôRE STILL CAVIAR FOR SLUGS. Slugs do seem to prefer them over just about every other plant on the planet.
SHREDDED, MINE ARE. Have you tried slug pellets?
WHAT ABOUT THE HEDGEHOGS? Slug pub?
I’ÄôD RATHER DRINK THE BEER MYSELF. Crushed eggshells?
I DO HAVE A LIFE… Well, there are some resistant varieties, you know.
YOU MEAN THERE ARE HOSTAS THAT SLUGS WON’ÄôT EAT? Exactly, there’Äôs a list in Diana Grenfell’Äôs book.
DO I HAVE TO BUY THE BOOK OR ARE YOU GOING TO LET ME IN ON THE SECRET? There’Äôs the list, below.
HOSTA LA VISTA BABY!!

Diana Grenfell’Äôs slug resistant hosta list
Hosta expert Diana Grenfell lists these ten hostas as slug resistant in her Gardeners Guide to Growing Hostas (David & Charles)

’ÄòBlue Umbrellas’Äô
’ÄòFragrant Cloud’Äô
’ÄòGreen Sheen’Äô
H. hypoleuca
’ÄòInvincible’Äô
’ÄòKrossa Regal’Äô
’ÄòLeather Sheen’Äô
H. sieboldiana and forms
’ÄòSilvery Slugproof’Äô
’ÄòSum and Substance’Äô

Hostas have some strange names…
http://www.plantdelights.com

’ÄòAbba Dabba Do’Äô
’ÄòAlligator Shoes’Äô
’ÄòElvis Lives’Äô
’ÄòFried Bananas’Äô
’ÄòLunatic Fringe’Äô
’ÄòNight Before Chrfistmas’Äô
’ÄòOut House Delight’Äô (’ÄòThe ugliest hosta in the history of hostas.’Äô says Tony Avent, who raised it.) http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/page49.html
’ÄòPineapple Upside Down Cake’Äô
’ÄòSquash Casserole’Äô
’ÄòStriptease’Äô
’ÄòSweet Tater Pie’Äô
’ÄòTea and Crumpets’Äô