can't proofread either - make that box wine not wide.

Paul

My top 10 tonight
Earth Angel
Sagae
Liberty
Regal Splendor
Rainforest Sunrise
Tattoo
Jewel Of The Nile
Gold Standard
June
Spilt Milk

These are my favorites this year. How about top 30? I cheated even more by listing families. Sorry, I couldn't go any lower.

June/ Touch of Class/ Ann Kulpa/ Halcyon
Blue Mouse Ears
Guacamole/ Tortilla Chip/ Stained Glass
Krossa Regal/ Regal Splendor/ Regal Promenade
Liberty/ Majesty/ Sagae
Old Glory
Brother Ronald
Silver Bay
Blue Jay
Bressingham Blue
Millennium
El Nino/ First Frost
Olive Bailey Langdon
Earth Angel/Guardian Angel/ Blue Angel
Maui Buttercups/Rainforest Sunrise
Bright Lights/ Tok. Flavo.
Abiqua Recluse/ Paradigm (Slow for me but getting there)
Sum and Substance
Potomac Pride
Jade Cascade
Mount Everest (great grower this year)
Alex Summers
Alligator Shoes
Ventricosa Areomarginata
War Paint
Golden Meadows
Golden Waffles/ Golden Sculpture
Spilt Milk
Dream Queen/ Thunderbolt

Top 10 must haves: (only 10 ;( ! )

1. Kossa Regal
2. Regal Splendor
3. Sagae
4. Blue Cadet
5. Dream Weaver
6. Gold Standard
7. Sum & Sub
8. Gand Tiara (any Tiara)
9. Gaucamole

10. Earth Angel (any large blue)

Just a list of the basic Hosta many of us had as a start to our obsession...

Your hosta labeled #8 albopicta is not labeled correctly.
It looks like Great Expectations to me. There are a few look alikes to GE, but definitely is not Albopicta.

Your hosta labeled #8 albopicta is not labeled correctly.
It looks like Great Expectations to me. There are a few look alikes to GE, but definitely is not Albopicta.

I'm with Dave on this one, soon as I saw the picture and then the comment about its growth, GE has a reputation for being a slow grower, none of the Fortunei family are that I know of.

On to my top 10 list, in no particular order:

Blue Mouse Ears - I call it my desert island Hosta
Holy Mouse Ears - see a theme here....
Sea Octopus
June
Maui Buttercups
Fire Island
Monashee Blue Cup
Blue Moon
Dream Queen
Twisting The Night Away

I'll go hunt for some pix and will post those later...

Here're my top-10 pics.. with cpl extra's LOL!!!

a young Liberty.. hope she get bigger soon :)

Melati, I assume that #5 on the left is Tattoo? I can not quite make out the label & there does not seem to be a name on the photo itself.

Yes Ptilda... not enough sun this year to brighten the colors.. so the tattoo on the leaves are not as visible... hope July will be better... it rained 21 days out of 30 in June lol!!!

Here are my top 12 must haves for any garden. Some are oldies but there are so many fabulous new ones that far surpass the oldies that I prefer them:

1. Sum and Substance
2. Blue Mammoth
3. Jewel of the Nile
4. Rainforest Sunrise
5. June
6. Queen of the Seas
7. Embroidery
8. Liberty
9. Grand Tiara

10. Sea Fire
11. Pineapple Upside Down Cake
12. Fair Maiden

Bear in mind that I'm not crazy about greens with white or gold edges, unless they are magnificent. That's why Fair Maiden and Liberty make the list.

Lainey

Here goes with my top ten [plus] list:
Montana Aureomarginata--outstanding vase shape, size, colors
Yellow River--same as above
Blue Cadet--a wonderful blue, neat size, grows fast, gorgeous blooms
June--great colors and shape--slug proof--very dependable
Striptease--wonderful colors--fast grower--nice sized
Shade Fanfare--I have never seen a more exciting green in a hosta
Dream Queen/Thunderboldt--visitors always ask what their names are--very striking in color , size, and form
Royal Standard: magnificent size, color, adaptability--gorgeous aromatic flowers
Patriot--every garden needs the pop that only a green and white Hosta offers
Liberty--the biggest "eye popper" of all
Sun Power--every garden also needs a large gorgeous dependable yellow
Spilt Milk--I love the uniqueness of the colors --and the name of this H

Now when is someone going to ask for a top 50 list--that would be so easy!!! LOL Mary

Hmmm, only 10?

Okay--my list will confirm so many others:

Sagae
Regal Splendor
Krossa Regal
Jewel of the Nile
Summer Breeze
Cutting Edge
Sum and Substance
Blue Angel
Earth Angel
Guardian Angel
Paradigm
August Moons (many of them)
June
Halcyon
Jimmy Crack Corn
SunPower
Dick Ward
Stain Glass
Liberty
Parhelion
Titanic
Wolverine
Fragrant Bouquet

Okay--that's 23--sorry--I don't think I can eliminate a one of them either!

Oops--I didn't mention 'Fragrant Blue' (gotta have it) and 'First Frost' (another must have)

Okay--so it's up to 25--I COULD go to 40 easily!!!

top ten:

striptease
kiwi full monty
liberty
patriot
june
gypsy rose
key lime pie
risky business
brother steven
sagae

Here is my must have list...which I have
1. Liberty
2. Great Expectations
3. Touch of Class
4. Golden Tiara
5. Captain Kirk
6. Stained Glass
7. Sum and Substance
8. Blue Angel
9. Royal Standard

10. .....Williams

Thanks for the shopping list guys ;)

LOL - my favs are different yet again (and in no order, order changes daily):

1. NOID (I know helpful right - but I posted a pic yesterday asking for the ID)
2. June
3. Night Before Christmas
4. Captain Kirk
5. Blue Mouse Ears
6. Patriot
7. Gold Standard
8. First Frost
9. Spilled Milk

10. Paul's Glory

How could I have missed Lovepat (hubbie's name), Dream Queen and Dream Weaver.....

I should just admit that I love them all....only one that's been a really slow grower for me is Sum and Substance....but even then I don't dislike it.....*sigh*

1) Empress Wu
2) Lemon Lime, Twist fo Lime, Lemon Frost
3) Pineapple Upsidedown Cake, Pineapple Punch, Pineapple Juice, Pineapple Poll
4) Dark Star
5) Ani Machi aka Geisha
6) Cherry Berry
7) All Mice
8) Blue Ivory
9) Tequila Sunrise
10)Samual Blue

11. Clovelly

1. Blue Angel (IMO, the best big blue)
2. Sum and Substance (grows for me in all day sun)
3. Sagae (right at the entrance to my garden)
4. Liberty
5. montana Aureomarginata
6. June
7. Dancing Queen (right now it dominates my deck)
8. Lakeside Cha Cha
9. Regal Splendor

10. Dawn's Early Light, Key West, Mississippi Delta, Brother Stefan or anything else that Olga Petryszyn creates.

This list may change next month.

Steve

My top 10 from MY small (so far) garden would be...

1 - Regal Splendor. (Growth rate, habit, color. Amazing hosta.)
2 - Sagae. (Becomes a show-stopper as it matures!)
3 - Twilight. (Underrated, IMO. The coloring is beautiful and it grows well for me.)
4 - Blue Ivory (The bluest blue, the whitest white. Stunning.)
5 - Krossa Regal. (It's a classic for a reason!)
6 - Golden Tiara. (Small, tidy, pretty. Grows like gangbusters.)
7 - June (Another one that's a classic for a reason.)
8 - Queen of the Seas. (New to me, but there's nothing not to love.)
9 - Paradise Island (Also new, but it became an instant favorite. Decent substance, dimpling, amazing color!)
10 - Clovelly (Also new to me, but good gods is it gorgeous and growing beautifully.)

This list could change at any moment, but that's it in THIS particular moment. :)

Adding to my previous list of '09:

Satisfaction (awesome wide yellow margins, stands med/tall with draping leaves--I have 3 of them now--I'm SO satisfied)
American Icon (very substantial leaves, longish with nice yellow margins)
First Frost (love, love, love it--nice blue with creamy yellow margins espec. right now)
Atlantis (Abba Dabba Do on steroids)
Blue Jay (nice aqua blue and smallish)
Pizzaz (thanks to Phil's pix and recommendation--very nice bluish green with crinkly cream edges)
Carnival (that one has surprised me--I have it in a very bright location and it's just an awesome sort of leaf with a cream edge, slightly undulating and round)
Climax (definitely a climax of my garden as you round the bend of our octagonal deck in the yard--nice limey margins and big leaves in my setting)
Flemish Sky (love it--gorgeous Mediterranean/pale turqouise blue, undulating and pointy leaves that multiplies rapidly for me)
Gunsmoke (nice grayish blue and ruffly long leaves)
Island Charm (bought it but wasn't sure I'd love it, but I do--very small, a neat mound of dark margined with gold centered leaves)
Katie-Q (a gift from diggindutchman with an order and a side of choco-chip cookies and I'm absolutely loving it with it's smaller leaves coming to a point with wide gold margins and multiplies like crazy for me)
One Man's Treasure (Naylor's told me I'd love it and I do--stands tall on very dark burgundy pedioles with long dark bluish green and pointing leaves--so lovely in a pot)
Powder Blue (totally awesome big and puckering dark aqua leaves and did I mention BIG?)
Ventricosa Aureomarginata (an oldie but very much a goodie--love the shiny dark green and wide margins of creaminess)
Spartacus (still new--2nd year but looking very good, ruffled edges and all)
Ginsu Knife (if you have it, you know why it's a keeper)
Dick Ward(Wow--it's taken off this year, dark margins light yellow/gold centers--very puckery and the leaves are just HUGE--not S&S huge but BIG)
Pineapple Upside Down Cake (love it's long slender ruffly leaves in a pot on a stand--looks so lovely and different)
Wolverine (have several and they complement so many of my groupings with their wide creamy margins, with dark centers, long and draping mounds that stand out)
Summer Breeze (pretty sure it was on my previous list but I have to still say it's a standout in my garden, intensely golden wide margins with the lovely grassy green centers, more rounded medium-sized leaves)

I have no idea how many I've just listed and so I won't feel I have to cut any, I'm not going to count them! ;o)

1) Jade Cascade - the best ever
2) Montana macrophylla - WOW...this year it blew me away
3) Flower Power (hmm...I see a trend in my choices lol)
4) Krossa Regal - what a stud
5) Garden Party
6) Lady Isobel Barnett
7) Ebb Tide
8) Atlantis
9) Tidewater

10. Vim and Vigor
11. oops....11...Blue Mouse Ears...how could you not??
12. yeah...still going...Metallic Sheen
13. Moonlight Sonata
14. Sagae
15. Monument Circle...for many reasons (thanks friend...you know who you are :)

ok, I will quit now :)

I lost my list of hosta I have when my computer crashed and I haven't got it back yet, but since I only have around 70 different ones I'll try to come up with some favorites off the top of my head.
In no particular order...

Cherub - just the right size, not too big or small
Prairie Sky - great color
June - 'nuff said
Whirlwind - neat and unusual form
Popo - cute little blue and great grower
Great Expectations - I know, but mine has done great
Liberty - awesome in the spring
Salute - like the ones that stand up ;-)
Gypsy Rose - nice color combo
Lakeside Dragonfly - longer leaves and nice form

I can't remember the names of a few others I really like, but it's dark out, so I'm not going out to check the names.

Janet

I am not going to list 1o since all of them have already been mentioned. But one I didn't see on the list which lept last year and blew me away was Spring Fling. If you are looking for a large, vase shape with varigated, piecrust leaves, this is the one!

chris

I love the addition of the pictures - nice touch. Here's my top ten - not in order:
Dawns Early Light - magnificent dome shape and ruffles
Moon Lily - Dusty gold and cute
Lakeside Cha Cha - glows in the shade
Great Expectations - Even if I have to treat it like an annual - it is worth it.
Striptease - Definitly one of my garden visitor's favorites
Halcyon - Gorgeous blue that holds up into fall
Coldheart - love the limey color and ripples
Dream Weaver - big lush leaves on pinky stalks
High Society - love the color combination and the way the blue holds up all season
Wolverine - beautiful and can take a lot of sun
I can't stop...
Aristocrat - I agree with everyone else here - a must have

Twist of Lime
Captain Kirk
Queen of the Seas
Paul's Glory
Guacamole
Lakeside Shore Master
Liberty
Halcyon
Striptease
June

I totally hit up the hosta farm on the way home today and got some newbies to the garden. Thanks for the suggestions folks.

My new hostas are:
- Blue Cadet
- Stiletto
- Spilt Milk
- Tokudama Flavocircinalis
- Rainforest Sunshine

Tough Question. Don't have a lot....so best way for me to answer is to tell you which ones I would definitely replace if I lost them.

Lakeside Shoremaster [Wins the prize in my yard this year]
Hanky Panky
Patriot
Golden Tiara
Grand Tiara
Touch of Class
So Sweet [Because of the fragrant blooms & vigor]
Captain Kirk
Sum & Substance [Doubt this one is capable of dying..HUGE]
Sagae
Vulcan
Halcyon

Sorry that's 12, but I'd replace any of them.

bump

i love this thread! i love the pics! kind of lets me know if there is a couple that i Have to have. andi (a couple? lol )

Liberty
Stained Glass
Great Escape
Atlantis
Kiwi Full Monty
Dream Weaver
Ice Age Trail
Gunther's Prize
Big Daddy
Montana Aureomarginata

So hard to pick just 10...but these are my favorites!

Funny how one's list changes over the years. I just looked at the ones I posted in '09 and there certainly are changes.

2 years ago they were:
On to my top 10 list, in no particular order:

Blue Mouse Ears - I call it my desert island Hosta
Holy Mouse Ears - see a theme here....
Sea Octopus
June
Maui Buttercups
Fire Island
Monashee Blue Cup
Blue Moon
Dream Queen
Twisting The Night Away

This time around they are:

'Blue Mouse Ears'
'Dawn's Early Light'
'Ray of Hope'
'Sea Octopus'
'Fortunei Hyacinthina' - don't know why I left it out the 1st time
'Rhino Hide'
'Maui Buttercups'
'June'
'Blue Ivory'
'Fire Island'/'Paradise Island'

Pieter

It's now 2015 and I seem to be coming in late on thus thread. Selecting 10 Favorite hosta is a good challenge. Right now I have 31 hosta between two beds. My may main bed is themed on Chaos and Destruction, and has 26 hosta. MY top 10 from this main bed would be ... (in no particular order)

1. Liberty [I've seen a full grown one, and it does scream 'LOOK AT MEl I need attention!'. Planted this year]
2. Empress Wu [Fast grower; reputed to have remarkable size for height and leaf dimensions; planted this year.]
3. venusta [I've had this for years hiding, This year It went to Fairy Ring stage; trying to grow this to its reputed diameter of 3 ft.]
4. Popcorn [a replant from last year, as it ages the leaves become 'bowls'.]
5. Gorgon [very fast grower. planted 3 years ago and now seems to be full grown; wonderful serpentine leaves.]
6. Dancing Queen [Replanted this year; has classic pie crust leaves; chartreuse color does hold over the summer.]
7. The Razor's Edge [planted last year; I think this variety will set the standard for red]
8. Hacksaw [planted least year; serrated leaf edges when mature]
9. Rainbow's End [Planted last year; distinctive Green and Chartreuse coloration; scape is black, and seed pods are red.]
10. Dixie Chickadee [replanted this year; leaves have green flecks in the yellow (to white) centers]

Every one of my plants was selected for a characteristic, or characteristics, that made them stand out. Working with a theme and a goal of diverse plants has been an interesting challenge.

Note that the counterpart to Empress Wu might be Sum and Substance since that is reputed to grow to be 9 ft in diameter and is a lower grower.

Peter Kelley; St. Paul, MN USA

Follow more of my antics of Hosta gardening at the blog: HostaByKelley

I'm new to the thread, so I guess I will throw my two cents in on the top ten must haves. I tried to include some of the most popular with some I think are must haves. In no particular order..............

10.Blue Angel

9. Francee

8. Sum and Substance

7. Abiqua Drinking Gourd

6. Empress Wu

5. Sagae

4. June

3. Brother Stefan

2. Dancing Queen

1. Liberty

To Mikgag -

LOLROF (as in Laugh Out Loud; Rolling on floor)

[added later] Or maybe that ought to be LOLRIG (Laughing Out loud; Rolling in Garden .... )

Peter Kelley

St. Paul, MN USA

Mikgag, what the hell is that Sagae doing in there???

Ah what the heck, here are ten that I would recommend (that I own)

1. Luna Moth

2. Journey's End

3. Dick Ward

4. Guacamole

5. Cathedral Windows

6. Blue Hawaii

7. Hoosier Dome

8. Spartacus

9. Silk Kimono

10. Atlantis

Of course, there are a lot more I could add to this list...

Here is my top ten:

1. Dancing Queen

2. Touch of Class

3. Rainbow's End

4. Golden Meadows

5. Atlantis

6. Lakeside Paisley Print

7. Blueberry Muffin

8. Liberty

9. June

10. Hollywood Lights

Oh wait, I have to add one more :)

11. Goodness Gracious

Not in any particular order.

1. Liberty

2.Paul's Glory

3.Abiqua Drinking Gourd

4.Snowden

5.Night Before Christmas

6.Raspberry Sundae

7.Teaspoon

8.Satisfaction

9.Yellow River

10.Frosted Jade

This list would probably be different tomorrow.

Denis

I really enjoyed this post. My favorites today are...

1. Parhelion

2. Key Lime Pie

3. Dick Ward

4. Dancing Queen

5. Sergeant Pepper

6. Gosan Gold Mist

7. Cathedral Windows

8. Spartacus

9. Cup of Grace

10. Irish Luck

11. Golden Meadows

12. Faith

13. Made You Look

14. And good ol' Sum & Substance

I seem to have mis-written above as: "... 9. Rainbow's End [Planted last year; distinctive Green and Chartreuse coloration; scape is black, and seed pods are red.] ..."

Upon observing the scape this spring the scape comes up white, green, and red. It seems to be copying the Dixie Chickadee next to it.

My apologies for the misinformation.

Peter Kelley St. Paul, MN USA

So many new ones since the original 2009 post. AHS does a list every year compiled from the members. Each year I get hung up on different ones. Wavy leaves, large leaves, wide margins, white edged, green edged, yellow, shiny...been at this too long.

-Babka

Follow up to last years posting (above). Last fall I discovered a burrow going through my raised bed (yes you read that right) with no entrance seen. VERY early professional (pest control) guess' say it's a Mole. We'll see how many survive from the list above. Empress Wu performed spectacularly last year, but my Gorgon and Sum and Substance where held back by this unexpected visitor.
Peter Kelley - St. Paul, MN USA

Follow my adventures in hosta growing at HostasByKelley

mstrpbk, moles are a constant in my large Hosta bed. Aside from being a nuisance they don't seem to really do much damage to my Hostas. However, the little varmint that uses their runs to access Hosta roots, VOLES, are extremely problematic. Collapsing the runs with your feet whenever you see them may help prevent voles from discovering the runs.

Thank you for the insight of your experience. I will be mindful of your thoughts as I sit with management (yes I rent apartment space) and the pest control person later this spring,

Peter Kelley - St. Paul, MN USA

I'm sure at some point I saw a compilation of the most cited top 10 (or 15 or 20 hostas) Don't know if it was based on this thread or another. Anyone remember or have a link on same on this forum or the web?

Just a quick read through puts Liberty and Kossa Regal and June on nearly everyone's list. I mean a really quick browse.

http://www.americanhostasociety.org/Publications/PopularityPollAllYears.htm

The AHS does one every year.

-Babka

Thanks!