all those pix in the library.. seem pretty consistent ...

ken

The hosta library says it's a 15" x 12" clump and the leaves are 4" wide. Well, if that was right, then it would only be 3 leaves across and it's more like 8 leaves across right there in the pic below the size. Hosta library is obviously wrong on this one. Seems like the 2-foot wide reference is more accurate, the height may or may not be correct, who knows.

15" x 12" clump and the leaves are 4" wide. Well, if that was right, then it would only be 3 leaves across

==>>> somehow..we arent communicating.. so my default is how we are using words ...

clump width.. has NOTHING to do with leaf size ... its the width of the celery stalks at the ground ...

3 leaves.. would be about an inch an a half at most ... so then picture.. a foot wide clump of petioles ... with the canopy up above ....

you cant use width of leaf.. to gauge width of clump???

height is theoretically.. genetic.... even if the plant is 2 miles wide.. height should be consistent... subject to extreme hyper-fertilization ... aka the van wade system ...

if you look at the library pix.. to MY EYE... they all look consistently the same height ... and as no one seemed to throw in a scale.. who knows what that is .... but it doesnt look a foot and a half.. 18 ... nor 8 ....

width of the CLUMP ... is an age thing... in theory.. the crown can continue to expand forever .... the only thing stopping it.. is fairy ring.. and the growers ability to maintain such ...

===>>> OK.. i have re-read this 3 times.. i am not even sure.. i am communicating with myself.. lol ...

maybe others can 'see' where i am trying to go.... and clarify this ... like good butter...

nummmmm.. butter and sauteed hosta petiole.... and maybe a clove of garlic ... of course.. my boot would probably taste favorable.. done up this way.. but apparently i digress.... WAD .. lol ....

ken

ps: is there bad butter .... and why hasnt anyone come up with a butter and bacon recipe ....???

Blue Jay can be very slow to multiply and will be a small plant in most gardens for its whole life. The heights referenced do seem pretty consistent (8", 10", 12" are all relatively close) and for the width, after 20 years you might get 24" across, but in real life terms, and depending on garden conditions, you are looking at more like 12 to 15".

One other thing to note about heights, as a hosta gets more dense the middle eyes and leaves will stretch upward to get light, which pushes the height more. For a really slow growing hosta like Blue Jay it will take a very long time to get that many eyes to get that dense, so the height will stay low for a long time. The pictures in the library are of fairly old plants.

When Blue Jay was registered in 1987 it was registered as 12" x 10" but no reference was made about the age of the plant at that time. Could an ideal, largest ever plant get 24" wide? Sure, I could believe that. But it won't be likely in every garden.

Hope that helps to clarify a little.

Chris

Ken,
Yes, we aren't communicating, LOL, it happens sometimes! I know that the clump width is measured at the crown, I was just using the leaf size to obtain somewhat of an estimate on this one, because it doesn't have that much of a draping habit, so the leaves are most likely not that much off from the crown width. Either way, I think we found our answer on this one from Chris. These are much older plants pictured, which is why they look so wide.

OK, thanks Chris, that makes perfect sense. If they are showing older plants in the Hosta library, then that would be why they look so wide to me. Sounds like the 15" tall reference is for a much, much older plant as well. This is starting to come together cohesively, finally!

I am going to use the 10" x 12" estimate, when placing in my garden. Thanks for all of the help!

Funn, in most cases the goal of the Hosta Library is to show mature hosta. Until photos of mature ones are donated, they may have young plants, or leaf shots and flower shots as well.

I'm not getting Blue Jay, so haven't checked its pictures. Plus, in my case, if something grows bigger than I expect, I just move the neighboring pots over a wee bit further! That's the joy of container gardening. :)

I bought Marquette Park thinking it was a small hosta. Come to find out it is a LARGE. Now my plans for it has changed...but I'd buy it again anyway.

Ken, you said, "subject to extreme hyper-fertilization ... aka the van wade system ." Can you perhaps expand on that in another thread for me? I'm a Van Wade fan, and did not know this. Please educate me. What does it involve? Thanks.

"Plus, in my case, if something grows bigger than I expect, I just move the neighboring pots over a wee bit further! That's the joy of container gardening. :) "

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

jill