I get a bunch of those every year, and never considered them unusual, unless they had a whole bunch of leaves on them almost like another plant. Even then, since I cut off my scapes anyway (because I am Leaf girl, so to speak) I guess I don't give all of them the chance to do their fasciating. ;-)

-Babka

Thanks, Babka. I was wondering if the fasciated scape might be a reaction to the stress of my climate.

Like I think stress is happening to my Undulata albomarginata that lost its albomarginata as BKay so aptly described. Perhaps its the climate and not the pots?

You know, you and I and a few others on the forum are hosta-farming at the frontier, so to speak. Perhaps it is a stress induced response......just thinking that's all.

I've also wondered about this. I saw an entire flat of Undulata albomarginata at Costco, and every single one of them had fasciated scapes on them. I've never seen anything like that.

moccasin - your 'Alex Summers' appears to have longer narrower leaves than the pics on the library. I like them a lot, but I like yours better. Is that width a function of age?
Jan

Mocc, I think what you are seeing is normal. I believe some hosta have larger leaves on their scapes, and some have smaller. I could be wrong, but that's what I thought. I'm seeing that same thing on U. albomarginata and gold standard. I saw a fasciated scape on a hosta at the nursery and it looked really weird. They look a lot more twisted, gnarled and leafy than yours (and mine) do.

bk

Quote:
moccasin - your 'Alex Summers' appears to have longer narrower leaves than the pics on the library. I like them a lot, but I like yours better. Is that width a function of age?
Jan

Jan, I'm only in the hosta game since last year, so like you I wonder what time will bring to ALL my hosta. Some of them seem to change overnight, and keep doing it.

Someone remarked that Alex Summers was a bit unstable, but did not expand on it. Which lets me think it can change color and perhaps leaf shape as as time goes by.....whether according to a set pattern, or unique each year, which I consider as an unstable situation.. I like it myself, something new is fun.

Let's see if I have a picture of the same plant from last year.
I'd sprayed with the Natria to keep saw fly larva from eating the leaves. Made it really shiny.

moc-I have two 5-plant floats of Albomarginata and all have fascinated scapes. Bobbi has a hosta that has what appears to be leaves (6-7) all the way up a very tall scape. For a hosta it really looks weird-I don't really like it. when it scapes in a month or so I'll try to get a picture of it and bump this thread.

By the way moc, all your hostas are really looking great for such a young collection. You are doing a wonderful job. With everything else you have going, where to you find the time and energy, girl?

Theresa

Thanks, Theresa, I appreciate your kind remarks. Now that DH is home from selling his house in Massachusetts, I have the advantage of his considerable energy and skills in the garden. Weeds are carted out of our garden by the bag full, BIG bags too. These days I must pace myself or "optimize" so I don't do the same job twice if I can help it. DH is a big help, and I believe he will soon love hosta.

This spring was cooler than most in my memory, which sort of helped the hosta develop before the heat got to them. And we had good rain as well. It felt so danged hot yesterday, I was moving hosta to shadier spots, and opening umbrellas, and watering.

Sooner or later my hosta will hit the humidity/heat wall, and the leaves will begin to decline. That's when I hope they grow massive root systems.

I think fasciated scapes must be quite common, but would like to see more pics of them. Anyone else have a funky-growing hosta?

No idea if this is a fasciated scape or not, but Maui Buttercups, Liberty, and Erromena are doing it this season. Only have a shot of MB:

That's quite weird!!!

Fasciated scapes have a flat stem, almost like 5 stems fused together side by side. If you'll look at the one on the thread titled mutant hosta or something like that, you'll see the flat stem. They're not always that wide, but they are always flat, if what I read is correct.

I, too, have some hosta putting out weird scapes. I don't think Guacamole has ever had leaves like this on the scapes, but this is a very different year. Notice that the stem is round, though. Maybe it's maturing and this is normal. I really don't know.

bk

Here is a link that might be useful: mutant hosta

Huh... that is what mine is doing.

Whoa, thanks for sharing that "mutant hosta" link. Never seen that before, either in real life or photos!

Mocc, thank you for that link. It was generated one month before, to the day, that I joined the forum so I had not seen it before.

I would have thought nothing about it except for the suggestion a scape could be rooted, and then I remembered it mentioned before. It might not be this thread. But someone had a really extravagantly fasciated scape in a new hosta bed around a ... (an) oak tree (not familiar with tree trunks except conifers somewhat)...so she asked if it could be rooted. It might show up if not in that linked thread.

Jo, then your first HostaForum anniversary is coming up? Happy happy. Time flies when you're having fun.

I recall a Sagae brought to the 1990's AHS Indy convention that had a 1 inch SQUARE fascinated bloom stalk that was thicker and harder than a broomstick.

The scape and blooms were probably +5 ft tall.

The hard edges at each side corner were very elegant!

That hard edge square bloom scape is a distinguishing characteristic in many species, if you grow them long enough to watch and note these unique differences.

We all marveled at it - than someone said, OK are we supposed to show flowers or bloom scapes and we laughed!

New cut leaf show category?

Yes, all hosta will exhibit fascinated scapes over time.

Bruce

I'd be thrilled to have one appear in my garden like the one you described here, Bruce! (Fingers crossed for open blooms on your Aphrodite this year :-))

As promised this is my Sum and Substance, it looks very odd and has a purple stripe up the scape and two deformed flower buds on the scape beliow the leafy top. It came from a really fat pip and thought it was going to be huge but I got this wierd thing instead.

Denis

Are you still around Barb? We haven't heard from you for some time now and hope things are well with you. Someone also just commented on the same heading as you and again I have never heard this term but here it is again.. Go figure

. Faye

She was always such an UP kind of person and miss her postings too. Will check into the small house forum too . Thanks bkay