Steve, you have tons of photos of gardens you have visited. Would you please post those you have of outstanding Tokudamas over the years?

I have a hard time believing they are not a heavily species variety because they are so unique.

Theresa

I've only had Aureonebulosa for a year, and despite the discouragement I got from the nursery owner, who said it would be painfully slow, I've noticed enough change to keep me encouraged.

May 2012:

Just a little over a year later (this weekend):

I was so pleased with it, I actually went back and picked up Tokudama Flavocircinalis. (Well, actually I picked up a mislabeled Pilgrim and posted a question about it here, and then I returned to pick up a real TF.) Again the nursery owner said that the TF hadn't done much in its pot for the last three years, but we will see.

I didn't do anything special with my TA. Maybe I amended the soil a bit with some peat moss (my soil is very clayey), but I certainly did not fertilize it, as I am slow to add in complications to my gardening. I just started amending my soil last summer and fertilizing this year. I planted my TA in dappled morning light. The TF is under a shrub in an older bed (i.e. much richer soil) and is a bit more protected. We'll see how that works out.

That is very nice progress. The one left behind in Arkansas had grown to over 2 feet in diameter and was the 3rd one we'd planted. I hope you have continued success with yours and your "Flav".

I don't know whether I have been planting mine too deep, too shallow, in too little sun or too little shade, or whatever. I have all sorts if conditions. I don't have clayey soil. My soil has good drainage but not like Michigan sand.

If someone has a formula for success I would like to hear it and try to adapt it to my needs. I love the almost equally round leaf shape and heavy texture of the leaves. All of the Tokudama I have tried had around 20 vein pairs and a lot that were truncated (?-branched into two veins). This gave the leaf a lot of substance. If I could grow them I feel I would have a living treasure.

Theresa

Sure, I...Oh, you said 'thriving'. I'll save my pic for another thread.

Don B.

Here you go! Tokumania

Paul

Terri,

The Tokudamas are related to the Sieboldiana Hostas. The are a bit smaller, very thick, very corrugated and intensely blue. The two most popular are Tokudama Aureonebulosa and Tokudama Flavocircinalis. I have the Flavo. Here it is.

Tokudama Flavocircinalis

Here's a more mature specimen from the garden of Kathie Sisson

Sorry I don't have a good picture of Aureonebulosa. BTW, Tokudamas are notoriously slow growing.

Steve

I love love love the Tokudamas.

I bought two Tokudama Flavocircinalis' in 2006. Last year I posted a thread documented the yearly progression of one of them- if you do a search on here for Tok F progression you should find it. One is planted in the ground and the other in a spinout bag. Both get dappled sun...minimal direct sun, really. The one in the ground is twice the size of the other but both have mature looking leaves.

The one in the ground has extra wide margins this year and larger leaves. It is just stretching out now...will probably get to about 3' diameter in another month or so . I felt like the first two years were slow but I have slower hostas in the garden, so I am very happy with the growth...worth the wait, in any case. I always plant with a lot of compost in the ground and all my beds are raised.

Here is a pic from today

another from today- on the lower left in this pic.

Also, I cheated and got a huge Tokudama Aureonebulosa at a local nursery last year...just planted it in the ground on the other side of this bed, so there will be a tokudama on each corner.

WOW Paul. Are those all yours? Fantastic!

I was going to ask why more people don't have, or sell more Toks, but I think my reason for posting this thread answers it for me.

When I had first "graduated" from the ranks with Lancifolia and U. Albo it was because I had seen the fantastically round, rugose leaves of a sieboldiana type at a public garden in Illinois. It is the most desirable leaf shape in my opinion. The Toks retain that shape and substance, but with generally a bit smaller size than a lot of the sieboldianas.

That gives me more room to grow more hostas :o). It is a win-win situation, if I have the time.

Your responses are putting a great big smile on my face. Thank all of you. Keep the cards and letters coming folks! (who did I just quote? Anyone younger than 50 probably has never heard it.)

Theresa

Terri
Tokudama Flavocircinalis...younger than some of the others for comparison. Nice jump this year. If it ever stops raining in NJ I might get a picture without rain drops.
Good luck!

OMG-never apologize about rain drops on your hosta. They are like finding pearls in an oyster, and I LOVE wearing pearls.

Your Toku is gorgeous.

Theresa

This is my 'Blue Shadows' after I moved it last year. Still unfurling this year.

I have an 'Aureonebulosa' but it is struggling after moving it two years ago.

tj