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Look at what I just bought-----

hostaLes
11 years ago

Down below at the bottome is an 8 inch ruler. I just couldn't pass this darling up, and I know nothing about City Lights - yet.

I'd love to see your pics of what I hope it will look like grown up and hear your experiences with it.

Les

Comments (15)

  • bkay2000
    11 years ago

    Nice Score!

    bkay

  • Gesila
    11 years ago

    That's a beautiful hosta, but it doesn't look like City Lights to me. City Lights is a Sieboldiana type hosta and doesn't having the undulating look to its leaves.

    It looks more like Sun Power to me.

    Gesila

  • esox48
    11 years ago

    Yes, that's a great start for Sun Power. All you have to do is put it in a good location and you will have the best hosta in your yard.

    As Mark Zilis said in The Hosta Handbook, "A mature clump of Sun Power becomes the focal point of any landscape where it resides."

    That's true in my yard and it looks as if it's about to be true in yours. Give it some sun but not too much. A slope is good too.

  • Steve Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    Yes, that is Sun Power. Who told you it was City Lights? This could be the one for the urn in the Angel Garden.

    Steve

  • User
    11 years ago

    Exactly, a perfect fit with this plant. It is not a wimp, the center of attention!! Good find, Les!!!The one I got is a baby and it might take it two years to look like yours does now.

  • ci_lantro
    11 years ago

    Nice score, Les!

  • hostaLes
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    There was not a tag in the pot. Just a stapled strip that said City Lights. But it looked exactly like what I want for my Grecian Urn except pie crust. If it is Sun Power, I am thrilled. One way or another it is going into the urn and we will see what happens. It is a beautiful young plant though, isn't it? 4YI, it was one of four tagged City Lights and may well be one yet? I still haven't looked into what young City Lights look like and welcome pics to the contrary.

    For all newbies in hostaholicism (9 cyllables and I am not even sure I have counted right?; amazingly sophisticated for a dirt-dog; I don't even know how to spell cyllables!) a young hosta doesn't usually look like adults. One would never imagine a young Sum & Substance would grow up to become an adult S&S.

    Les

  • Wendys_garden
    11 years ago

    Hi Les,
    It looks like your new plant has a flower scape on it.
    That should confirm if your new plant is a Sun Power or not.
    Sun Power has light lavender flowers, and City Lights has white flowers.

    Wendy

  • hosta_freak
    11 years ago

    Yeah,I have to agree with the others. I have City Lights,and it has more rounded,very puckered leaves. I just got it last year,and it is growing very well. Phil

  • hostaLes
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I am chuckling thinking about the thread regarding whether we buy because of names. I had to have it and didn't even know what it was called.

    The nursery had this hosta as one of two holding up the wire framed sign that shouted "HOSTAS". I removed the sign and was putting the plant in my basket when I saw the tag stapeled to the pot that said "City Lights" with Vilts name on it. So the error was made by the grower Vilt bought it from when tagging it for Vilts. (I did place the sign back into another hosta pot and nicely rearranged the display for them.)

    Wendy, it has a rather tall, quite straight scape with aged blooms but still recent enough to see they were pale lavender, not white.

    This makes TWO excellent threads from the Garden Web HOSTA FORUM today, the other being the HVX-like ink bleed thread.

    Thanks so much! I am very pleased that you all put up with my silliness at times.

    Les

  • lavenderlver
    11 years ago

    My City Lights is a baby, but like Phil stated, the leaves are much more rounded and there's none of that gorgeous waviness like in your plant Les. She's a beauty!

  • almosthooked zone5
    11 years ago

    I just bought a small one today and all the plants were 2 for 1 price so I came home with 10 more hosta. Now where to place them

  • hostahillbilly
    11 years ago

    TRUST THE NAME (holy moly, am I related to ken_r - not ashamed to be, teehee)

    Your are in zone 5. Here just across the border in zone 4, we've been trying to get the potential of this beauty for 14 years.

    Like 'Choko Nishiki' (sp?), aka, 'On Stage' (although recent readings question if they are really the same plant, something I hope to remember to ask Mr. Expert 'What's in a Name', Mr. Warren Pollock about someday).

    But I digress.

    Bottom line from our perspective, at least here in zone 4, this cultivar will be 'punky' unless you can put it in ALL DAY SUN and water it enough.

    We have a friend just south across the border into zone 5. She has this wonderful plant out in all day sun, and had the ability and does, indeed, give it all the water it needs (that alone is a real challenge).

    I wish I had a handy picture - it's a real show-stopper!

    Just off hand, I think her plant of this is spittin' on even the late Brian Skaggs originators stock of Xanadu 'Empress Wu'.

    I'm sure most of you understand what a drastic statement that is, so I'm really stepping out on a thin, long limb saying that.

    Nevertheless, seeing is believing.

    Now if only I can find a picture of this truly mature Hosta 'Sun Power'.

    I promise to remember to post it when I find it (the pic)

    Again, remember, folk name Hosta, mostly, for good reasons.

    Hence, H. 'Sun Power', gives POWER in SUN.

    As I'm so fond of commenting on, Hostas, mostly, are faster, better, meaner, bigger, in 'more sun'

    Those in 'bigger' zone numbers keep reminding me that they have to 'chill out' with regards to this, so always remember to consider the source of 'rash' comments about this Genus, huh?

    Some day, when I git a little older and retire to somewhere a little, or a lot, further south, I hope to explore Hosta growing in way bigger zone numbers.

    Like ken_r, I don't want to go to z9 or higher where I have to relearn and grow 'tropicals'.

    Heaven forbid, don't have enough active brain cells to go that far. Besides, I'm most comfy in the 55-65 degree F temp range.

    Now for a (please start a new thread) question:

    Just how far south can one grow and keep Genus Hosta?

    We gave some to a relative by Bradenton FL, but after a few years they faded away.

    No 'rest period'.

    Just curious, as there are a few people 'pushing the outer limits' of Hostadom zone growing.

    g'nite,

    hh

  • Cricket_Love
    11 years ago

    Almosthooked - I do believe yours truly is
    "City Light". It appears to have more substance than Sun Power . Either way, a very nice hosta indeed!

  • bentleygardens
    11 years ago

    Great plant, nice and full

    Growing hosta in zone 8a down here (Middle Georgia), its only been in the 90's so far.....lol

    Ed