I’ve Got A Name, And I’ll Bet You Can’t Say It

When we moved to this property five years ago, There were a number of variegated hostas planted around some of the trees.  Because they were so close to the tree roots, they weren’t very large clumps.  The hosta leaves were white in the centers with green at the margin, and the leaves were also somewhat wavy.  I’d never seen any like them before.

We had to remove some of the trees because they were compromising the basement wall, and since I can’t stand to throw a plant away, I moved all the hostas.  The soil here had never been improved, but the hostas didn’t seem to mind.  Once in their new homes away from tree roots and with room to spread out, spread they did. 

I planted a few into a holding bed at the back of the property, and the rest I planted in a bed next to the house.  Within a couple of years, each single hosta had grown into huge clumps.  Last year, I divided a few clumps into about 50 plants and replanted them along our drainage swale, hoping to keep the weeds at bay.  This year, I dug up a few more clumps and again planted close to 50 along the swale.  I gave a few clumps away, and I still have more hostas than I know what to do with. 

I didn’t mention that before we bought the house, the former owners had given some of these hostas to the next door neighbor.  He has huge clumps that he’s divided and shared with friends.  We both know there are children of my hostas all over the county, and maybe beyond.  I’d never seen hostas this prolific.  Yes, others we have (I won’t tell you I have a hosta habit because I think I’ve managed to restrain myself to about 10 varieties) don’t reproduce nearly as fast.  One I have, either Patriot or Minuteman has gone from 1 plant to 3 in as many years. Not very prolific.  But these that were already here are taking over the property. 

I’ve never known what kind they were until yesterday.  I made a trip to Behnke’s and took a leaf with me.  Their hosta expert – yes, they have a hosta expert – first identified it as Night Before Christmas.  He showed me one they had there.  But then, he noticed the back of my hosta leaf was shiny, and Night Before Christmas is matte.  Then he said it’s Hosta undulata ‘Univittata.’ Hakuna matata, right? That’s what I thought.  Then I thought, I’ll NEVER remember that name, so I wandered through the center mumbling it to myself.  Then I mumbled it all the way home.  When I got home and gleefully told Garden Man our hostas had a name – Hosta undulata ‘Univittata,’ what did he say?  You got it, hosta hakuna matata. 

I looked them up tonight.  What did it say under growth rate?  Fast.  Uh huh.  I knew that already.  But I didn’t know the name, and now I do.  So, can I interest anyone in a Hosta undulata ‘Univittata’ or two or twenty?