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How About Them Red Legs! Red Petioles Please

User
11 years ago

I think it was HostaHillbilly who brought it up, so I'll drop the nickle in and let it play.

I think we should start off with

Red Sox.....and I hope Steve_Mass has one, because his are always grown to perfection, and besides...he should be a FAN.

As you can see, my Red Sox is brand new last week. But I have hopes of taking home the pennant in a couple of years!

Another new one with red pets is Red October

And then Stephen King, which is also scaping

Then One Man's Treasure has it going on in a number of ways. Hopefully someone can show me how good theirs looks.

And I have others, but it is too hot to go out and look for current photos now. I run outside for a few minutes and drag myself back in, dripping wet and blinded by sweat, exhausted. I can imagine what it must be like where the dryness is sucking the life out of people and plants.

But let's entertain ourselves with images and thoughts of cool green and a little bit of red on the legs.

Comments (9)

  • jan_on zone 5b
    11 years ago

    and 'Fire Island'

  • Ludicious Acres
    11 years ago

    Ohhhh I wanna play too :)

  • hostahosta
    11 years ago

    Here's my Red October, pic taken in May, three years old. This was the first red legged hosta I ever saw and I couldn't pass it up. Love it, increasing in size each year. But, of all my hosta it must be the tastiest to the slugs. There isn't a single whole leaf on it right now.

  • User
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I meant to mention that Chris at Hallsons wrote a note on my Red October order:

    "Note: Red stemmed hosta don't like to be buried too deep. Plant these with the crown/top of roots lightly covered."

    Ludi, love that Cranberry Wine. Never heard of it before, you have quite a nice hosta there. And I actually FORGOT that I need a photo of Volcano Island! What a nice red leg it has too.

    And Hostahosta, are you sure that is slug damage? Seen em doing it? Because it is more like my boy Maltese way of eating my house plants....makes me think I smell a rabbit in your garden. But even with the chewed leaves, it is growing quite nicely.

  • lavenderlver
    11 years ago

    ML, I was just going to write the same thing to HH. Wabbits seem to love my Red October - I've caught the little buggers red handed several times, they seem to prefer the new unfurling leaves the best.

  • Steve Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    Mocassin,

    Not just red legs, but flower bracts, leaves, scapes and seed pods. What is good about the red/purple is that it is no longer a main feature in new introductions but an added feature. Hostas like Celtic Dancer and Miss Linda Smith would have been introduced without the red pets. They are just an added attraction.

    Here's the one that I want, but it's way too expensive right now. This pic is from the First Look auction where this plant went for hundreds of dollars. It's my desktop wallpaper.

    Hosta 'Almost' bred by Arthur Wrede

    Here are the pets from Red Sox.

    Here's a leaf closeup of Red Sox. The red goes about a third of the way up the middle vein.

    Miss Grace (pets) a more affordable Arthur Wrede introduction.

    Seedpod on Purple Boots

    Miss Linda Smith another Arthur Wrede Hosta.

    Beet Salad flower bract. Look at the vestigial leaves in this bract. That is what is possible.

    Steve

  • User
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    OMG, Steve, I have Beet Salad, did not realize that it would do that when it blooms! I also have Purple Boots! Will have to check both of those for proper depth of planting to cater to their needs for lightly covered crowns. First thing in the morning, must go take a look.

    Thanks for the presentation of your red pets etc etc. Wow!

  • lavenderlver
    11 years ago

    Steve, very beautiful and very interesting, thank you!

  • hostahosta
    11 years ago

    Gotta have Almost and Beet Salad. Gorgeous.

    mocassin: You are right. The pic here of my Red October has half nibbled leaves, probably rabbits or chipmunks. But now in late July, it has swiss cheese leaves from slugs. In my woods I just can't compete with all the animals. My first year of hosta gardening we went on vacation soon after planting many gift divisions from my Mom. Returned home after 3 weeks to nothing but stems. I almost gave up at that point.