Ken, glad you found the site. It would help a lot if you could take a picture of this plant. GWeb now allows you to upload a file to your post but it must be less than 250kb in size. This is a good arrangement if you do not already have an account for online albums like Flickr or Photobucket.

I do not know enough about hosta to offer any help, but come morning I bet others will pitch in. Especially with a picture to look at.

hey.. another ken

this happens.. when a hosta is planted too deep ... making it grow like a leek ...

there has to be petioles ... its genetic .. leaving the only presumption.. that they are buried ...

one would think that genetics of hosta allow color changes.. sports/reversions ... but i have never heard of missing parts of the plant as a whole ...

also.. if it was very young .... the manipulation of hormones in the TC process.. could mess it up .. but it usually outgrows such weirdness ...

i would love to see a pic ...

ken

ps: do understand.. if it ends up NOT being a hosta.. you may never hear the end of it.. lol ....

Ha! That's a good one Ken. I am hopefully not that horticulturally inept to have bought a mislabled cabbage. Anyhow, I was afraid that someone would ask me to post a picture - we're in the midst of a remodel and will have to find the camera and the elusive cord and post it. It's still a young plant in a 4" pot and I don't think it's been planted too deeply, so here's hoping for a picture soon. Thanks for the replies and hopefully we can get it figured out. Maybe it's one of those million dollar plants! Ken

Hi Ken,
Are you going to visit the Hosta House in Salt Lake? I live Layton, Ut and just recently found out about the Hosta House. I have not been there yet but plan on visiting soon. I also found out that the Rocky Mountain Hosta Company which is in Layton is having an open house hosta sale this weekend and also next weekend. I am planning on going tonight to see what they have. I am pretty excited about it! I had no idea there was a place like this in my town!

Linda

Linda,

Yep, that's where we are going! Can't wait to check it out AND thanks for the info on Rocky Mountain. To think there are two hosta nurseries to visit plus an open house sale really made my day! Best wishes on your search! Will try to get a picture posted of my weird sum and substance tonight. Ken

I too am in Utah, south end though (Springville). Burton, at Hosta House is a great guy and it's a blast visiting his place. Every time I go I come back a lot poorer lol. I have been there twice this year already to buy Hostas from him. He has a great selection of well established plants at good price. I highly recommend visiting and buying Hostas from him.

Thanks for recommending Burton - I've enjoyed talking to him a couple of times. Have you visited Rocky Mountain? Going to try to fit in as much as possible on our weekend trip. Thanks for your help. Ken

I am going to the open house tonight, so I will post more on how it is and what the prices are. The flyer says they have 130 varieties with prices starting at 6.99. I believe it is at someone's home in East Layton. They are having the open house tonight and tomorrow and then again next friday night and saturday day. It's on your way to Salt Lake so you might as well stop if you have time.

Linda

Just dawned on me we are going in two weekends (June 9). Hopefully they'll still have a good selection. Let me know how it goes! Thanks. Ken

Ha, it seems anything can happen when you go to buy a S&S. I know how a S&S should look, have two very large ones myself. So I saw this green one labeled S&S in a farmer supply place last summer. It had those interesting white streaks. Seing a great buy, I thought it would be a Vim & Vigor streaker. But that streaker grew up over last winter and decided to be a Sagae. No more streaks. I have a Sagae growing next to it, same leaf form, same vein count, same stature, only the white/yellow border is much smaller.
Bernd

There are only a few hostas with very short petioles...and they are all small plants. Show us a pic of what you have so we can figure it out...

Short Petiole Hostas

Hi Ken, The open house was fun. They have a nice yard with lots of mature plants growing. I picked up a Blue Angel, Fried Bananas and a Dream Queen. The prices were reasonable too, $8, $10 and $11. Now I am thinking I may go back next weekend and get a few more!

Linda

Linda, what size how many eyes do the plants have? Could you post a picture of them? I'm thinking I might go next week and check it out, but it's over an hour one way for me. Thanks for the info.

Don R, I will try to get a picture posted this weekend. Have lots going on. The links that shared re: short petioled hostas were on the right track - although these petioles seem even shorter. Thanks.

Ogrefcf, I will start another thread and post the pictures.

Wonders never cease. I found the USB cable AND managed to add the pictures of the Sum and Substance to my message. Any thoughts from anyone? Linda, your Rocky Mountain purchases were beautiful. If you go back, please leave a few for me. Thanks. Ken

Well that certainly is different. I hope you bought one. S&S had some crazy genes and throws very unusual sports. That one should be grown to see if it's garden worthy and perhaps introduced.

Steve

Thanks for the input Steve. Like I mentioned earlier I am pretty new to the hosta scene so wasn't sure what I bought was a mutation or a disease or what. Will try to grow it on well and hope that it is garden-worthy - it was certainly eye catching when I saw it. Can't imagine where any new eyes would fit if it continues to develop, but we will see. Ken

I'm going to say that whatever it is, is likely not diseased or mutated...it's exactly what it's supposed to be, and exactly what it's supposed to look like at it's age. (How's that for a non-answer!)

Whether you can be confident on what this young plant is has more to do with how much you trust place you bought it from.

Despite what it is or what it might be...and you'll probably make better conclusions after a few years in the ground...I'm curious what the roots and crown look like on this once you take off the pot and remove the soil medium.

I can't see the soil level...I can interpret and assume a few things...but I can't see how high (or low) the crown is in relation to the potting soil and in relation to the leaves.

It looks to me like...whatever it is...and it does look like a S&S...is a fresh, young division off a mother plant this season...pretty recent, in fact...and sets in the pot really low/deep because the person who potted the division planted it deep.

Gayle

now that is a mystery ..

the points on the leaves bother me.. in regard to hosta ...

there used to be a TINY hosta some foreign-worded version of 'swirling eddy' .. uzo no ma.. and it grew like that ...

but was about the size of your thumbnail.. and i think.. basically disappeared off the face of the earth ... and that one is not even in the library ...

ken

Whatever it is, I WANT ONE!

Westy

Before you plant it, it may be worth cleaning all the soil off and getting a good look at the crown just to see what it looks like.

tj

Good idea TJ. I pulled it out of the pot the other day. It does appear to have a vigorous root system and it's only in a 4.5 inch pot, so I can't imagine that it's planted too deeply. However, I will wash it off and see what's there. Anything special that you think I should look for? Thanks for your help. Ken

Ken,

Post a pic here of the full plant without soil, leaves, crown and roots. I'm sure I'm not the only curious one that wants to see this anomaly.

Steve