I don't have a picture but there are pictures online. It is a wide margined sport of June Fever which is a yellow centered sport of Devon Green. Justine is almost the same as June Spirit. All have some unique yellow coloring, especially when grown in some bright light, but they are also pretty slow to multiply, which is good if you don't have a lot of room and want something smaller. I like using these with dark green plants as the bright centers stand out nicely that way.

I think the argument that something looks similar to something else can be used with most hostas, so it is just up to you if you have a spot for it and want to give it a try. It should be a fairly easy one to grow.

Personally I like Justine better for the name because it doesn't continue the mistaken identity of these being direct descendants of June that most people believe, but I also have June Spirit growing in another spot far away.

Chris

June Spirit is a wide-margined sport of June Fever. You can read about it here on Walters Gardens website, who introduced it in 2012. June Fever is diploid (2-2-2) according to Dr. Zonneveld's flow cytometry tests. June Spirit may likely be diploid also.

I agree with Chris...Justine and Orange Star are tetraploid sports of June Fever and have thick leaves which are "tough as nails". If you get one of these two, I think you'll be much happier. They look just as good in late summer as when they come up in spring.

I bought a June Spirit last year so she is young yet. She looks like nothing else that I have and I have a few June relatives. . .the leaves are lustrous and fairly thick. I think I'm going to like her very much as time goes on. See for yourself.

Not a great pic but wanted you to see flower as well. Sorry I can't offer any more info...except it is one I am looking forward to seeing mature.

This is NOT a June sport, but from Devon Green, as Chris points out.
I have Justine and June Fever. Wonderful shiny foliage... unfortunate name which implies it is a descendant of June.

-Babka

I'm confused . According to Walter Gardens ,who says they created JUNE Spirit, it is a sport of June Fever. Who is right?

Chris pointed out above that "June Fever is a yellow centered sport of Devon Green". So they are not sports from June. There is some mis-information out there and it hasn't been corrected. Chris explained it all once in a newsletter and I lost my link to that. I think they are all remotely related to the grand old Halcyon. Too much sporting going on!

-Babka

According to Mark Zillis's new Field Guide to Hostas June Fever is a sport of June and June Spirit is a sport of June Fever.

I'm afraid Mark has it wrong in the book, but he is probably just going by the registration which is where the mistake was made.

Danny Van Eechaute named and registered June Fever and according to Danny the plant was growing in a field where they were growing Devon Green and June. At first glance it was thought that the plant was growing among the June so that's what they put on the registration and then it got submitted that way. Later on when they went back Danny found out it was really growing among the Devon Green. This topic came up a few years ago too and Danny confirmed again that it really is a sport of Devon Green.

When you think about it and look at June Fever it really doesn't look that much like June, even as it gets older, and the yellow color is different from the yellow in June. So when I first started growing it I kind of doubted the idea that this was identical to June and was just missing the blue wax. It makes a lot more sense that June Fever is a yellow centered sport of Devon Green, especially when you compare those two plants.

So yes, the registration says it is June and so do references and lots of websites. Until Danny or Jan van den Top submit a registration correction there will be some confusion on it.

Hope that helps to explain it better.

Chris

Thanks for the clarification .

Great information, Chris. Thank you.

Don B.

When my brain is not so tired, I will try to absorb the message in this thread.

But meanwhile, let me show you a couple of pictures I took today.

First, June FEVER

and then Justine.

Now I know why I cannot find June Spirit.....IT IS STILL ON ORDER......sigh...

and then June in person, taken today

When my brain is not so tired, I will try to absorb the message in this thread.

duplicate post

This post was edited by moccasinlanding on Thu, Apr 3, 14 at 11:15