I would love recommendations for mini hosta. Most of the one's in my photo are NOID, because some pesky critter scattered the markers where they were growing temporarily and my markers are not readable now anyways. Hopefully I can identify a few from my list of what I had. (If I find the list)

Hi Kathy, first of all I would like to say I love your containers! Would those be something you would purchase at an agricultural store, like a feed trough? They look great!
I have about 14 minis so far and I really like them all but if I would have to pick my favourites they would include: Curly Fries, Blue Mouse Ears, Mini Skirt, Gemstone, and Stilletto. Hope you find your list.

I love Pandora's Box and see that it is up for an award, Saying that, I have tried it several times with no success. Maybe my current favorite is Mighty Mouse Ears but things change.

Yes Debbie, I bought them at Tractor Supply and the are for water or feed. We had to drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Blue Mouse Ears is one I have and can identify. ;) I have Stiletto in another container if it's marked correctly. It came from a friend, and I have never been quite sure that is what it is. (right side) Quite an overgrown container. ;) Silver Mine" & "Hydon Sunset" are suppose to be in there too.



Paul, I tried Pandora's Box with no success too ... local friends have told me it is hard to grow.

Hawkeye is a favorite of mine. Looks nice the whole season.


Fruit Cup is new to me. A cute little cupped green one.


And... since you're all discussing it

Pandora's Box

Hosta Blue Mouse Ears

Hosta Mini Skirt

Hosta Woodland Elf

I must have had a Senior moment earlier

My all-time favorite is Little Treasure (bottom right).


Three little NOIDS... care to guess on the names

No way I could choose just one. But here are some of my favourites. Pictures were about a week ago.

'Alakazaam' - not sure this is a mini. It may be "small" I don't think of it as a mini, but I like it. It's still in a pot and I've had it about 3 years.


'Atom Smasher' is an interesting yellow mini that was a gift two years ago.


'Baby Bunting' is a fast-growing, blue mini. This is the one that spawned 'Cameo', 'Cherish', 'Hope' and 'Pandora's Box'. I have one division in the ground and one in a round trough with the rest of the family.


'Blue Mouse Ears' is, IMHO, the best of the family. I have several others, but have found many are really unstable. Most of the white-centred ones I've owned, except for 'Pure Heart', have quickly reverted to solid blue. This one grows fast and I have another division in the ground. This particular plant was divided in spring to keep it small enough to get the other mice into this trough.


'Country Mouse' lives with my other "mice" but it's from an entirely different family. It's also one of my favourites.


'Cracker Crumbs' - this particular division lives in a pot in a trough, though it's getting too crowded and I'll need to divide it. I have more of it in a border in the back yard, but I've found it makes a so-so border - not as full as I'd like.


'Dragon Tails' - is a delightful yellow mini.

BTW, I've mentioned that I have many of my minis in troughs. The 'Baby Bunting' family, I've successfully overwintered for a number of years by covering with my unscreened compost in my veggie garden each autumn. Most of the others live in 5" pots that I bury in the veggie garden each autumn and then sink into the troughs in spring. That way I avoid having to disturb their roots twice each year. Some are outgrowing those pots, but I"ll deal with that later.

Here are more:

'Green Eyes' - a nice little plant that is doing well in its pot. This, BTW, is a good example of why you share plants with friends. I shared a division with a friend. Then I put mine in a container I acquired at a garage sale. Must have been something in or about that container because nothing I planted in it did well. My 'Green Eyes' did not survive. I was able to get a small division back from the friend I gave it to.


'Hidden Cove' has been a slow grower for me. I moved it to this location two years ago and it does better, but maybe it would like even more light.


'Hope' - one of the 'Baby Bunting' family and it does well. BTW, I didn't post 'Cameo' from this family but it also grows well for me. 'Cherish' does not.


'Kifukurin Ko Mame' - one of my very early hostas. It might be difficult to get commercially these days. It's an absolutely delightful mini which grows fast, is easy to divide and makes a wonderful border which I have in four places in my yard.


'Kinbotan' - another fast growing mini. Similar to the one above except the leaves are not as wavy. This is a GREAT ground-cover hosta.

'Lemon Frost' - this, and the entire 'Lemon LIme' family grow fast, divide easily and make a wonderful border.


'Limey Lisa' - this one had a set-back for a couple consecutive winters when, even as an established plant, it heaved in winter and I lost some of it to root damage. Have been top-dressing with compost and it's doing better. It also grows quite fast and quickly forms a thick mat.


'Little Red Rooster' is a delightful mini with red legs.


'Lakeside Elfin Fire' - this one did not do well as a border. I tried and it's been a bit of a struggle getting it back into any sort of a mound. But it seems fairly happy now. For a plant with as much white as this one has, it grows quite well.


'Lakeside Zinger' - this is a fast grower which forms a thick mat. It's also fertile. I have a couple of seedlings from it that I'm watching and a weedling that I'm quite sure came from it which has grown into quite a nice plant - mostly very low-growing, tough leaves with occasional white streaks in them.


'Masquerade' - this variety was one of my early hostas but I eventually lost the originals ones; so this is a replacement plant which is doing well in a trough.


'Pandora's Box' - one of the 'Baby Bunting' bunch which is doing OK, but not spectacularly well for a 4 yr-old plant. It has a lot of white and grows more slowly than some of the family.


'Pixie Vamp' - this is a delightful mini which can easily hold its own in the garden.


'Popo' - probably my smallest mini and it likes its 5" pot.

And the rest:

'Silver Threads and Golden Needles' - a lovely plant that's interesting to watch as the design in the leaf centre gets darker during the season. This one sported a couple of years ago to a division which ihs solid yellow. It's in the lower right of the pot.


'Sparkler' - I didn't think this was a mini, but it sure grows like one.


'Stiletto' - I've never divided mine and I've had it a decade, but I think this one would also make a good border plant.


'Surfer Girl' - I've had this one only a couple of years and it's a lovely plant. A good, robust grower that will go into the garden this season.


'Surprised By Joy'. I've had this one for quite awhile and don't find it to be a robust grower. I divided it maybe 5 years ago when someone couldn't find it commercially and replanted in three groups. That sometimes makes a mound look much larger and fuller more quickly, but not in this case.


'Tears of Joy' - is the strangest little plant that I won. It has tiny folded leaves, like a mini 'Praying Hands'. And when it blooms (at this time of year) it has peculiar little flowers with no petals - just the inner yellow parts of the flower.


'Tiny Tears' - is a fast-growing mini. I grew it in a pot for years, but it was always out-growing the pot; so I finally found a garden location for part of it. It's been there only a year and has grown quite a bit.


weedling - I believe this is a seedling from 'Lakeside Zinger' (mentioned above) and it's forming quite a thick mat in the garden.


'X-rated' - not a fast grower with all that white.

Wow Ann, thanks for the fantastic information on minis, you sure have given me a lot to look for.

Will have to get some pictures of the small ones but have to say when walking up Munchkin Fire and Appletini just pop out.

Munchkin Fire is a real favorite with me.

Church Mouse


Mighty Mouse or Cameo what do you think? I bought both, not sure which one did not come back.


Munchkin Fire


Bought as Blue Mouse Ears but not sure about leaf shape. Has been a very fast grower.


Sun Mouse Ears


Pandora's Box


School Mouse


Appleltini


Mini Skirt


Blue Elf


Not sure what it is , about 4 in high x 8 in wide. Any idea what it is? I like it a lot.

Bob, the leaves on my blue mouse ears appear a little more rounded.

That is what I thought. I have seen a lot of Sun Mouse with pointed leaves but not the Blue Mouse.

Maybe Gemstone? I have it, it's a pretty fast grower, but I don't have a current picture.

Your flowers look about right.

Not sure what your last one is but it's very attractive!

I am just guessing but some of the leaves have a pattern similar to Striptese , wondering if there is a mini sport of Striptese.