I have been reading that the new striped hostas are unstable. Will I just waste my money if I buy one? Should I want for a few years to see if they get better?

Many of the streaked hostas are unstable and will revert to a solid or Variagated color. Often a new increase will be solid and you will have to dig and separate or the more vigorous solid color will take over and the streaked will disappear. Having said this some are beautiful and some people think they are worth the effort. Some are more stable than others and you have to study a little to determine which. To get variagated seedlings the pod parent must be streaked so many are used as breeders. I hope that made sense. I also meant to mention he best ones are often very expensive.

Yes, pretty much thats what I have read. They sure are nice but I may wait. If they prove to be good then they will stay around and the price may come down.
Anyone own one?

Savannah Supreme is fairly stable (enough to buy one anyway). It does sometimes produce a green (Savannah), but not like some of the streaked hosta (they are called streaked rather than striped in the hosta world).

Ice Age Trail is getting reasonably priced.

If you like a similar look, Ellegan Fog is stable and really different than the solid colored and varigated ones.

Keep your eyes open. Most of the hybridizers are working for stable streaked right now, while others are working for bringing red from the stems and beginning of the veins into the whole leaf. Prices are becoming more reasonaable (sooner) now because the new ones go directly into tissue culture and you get a really nice, say $35 plant right away, when it would have taken 4-5 years for the price to come down to that.

I will look those three up. Did I understand you right: They are working on getting the red from the stems to the veins? That would be beautiful. Thanks so much. I will use the term Streaked rather than striped. CJ, thanks for the heads up. Love to learn.
I have one of the red stem ones called Raspberry Sundae. New this year for me and very small yet. off to google

Here is a link off the Hosta Library that will keep you busy and drooling, too. Rawson's lists give you hostas by different categories.

http://www.pwk.resteddoginn.ca...

One I've been looking at is Athena . Has anyone tried that one yet? It comes from H. Aphrodite and is supposed to have a double flower.

That one is still expensive. I've seen it for $100. Haven't seen a full grown one, though. If you are going to spend that, go for Gunther's Prize - very showy.

Here is a link from Bob at the Hosta Library of some seedlings he is growing and watching:
http://hostalibrary.org/delete...

Note: there are 4 pages of them, notice the arrows at the top.

One I may get next year from Naylor Creek is 'Confused Angel'.

I am guessing you will have to get that one on the Hosta Library Auction (if it comes up) - I am a little behind on the newer varieties and what is offered at the online hosta vendors. I have some nice places within driving distance to get such nice hosta and I like to see what I buy before I pay. I may have to go searching for that one, though, Paul.

I meant to say that a friend has 2 'Gunther's Prize". One is very wonderful. It is one of those hosta that is instantly recognizable. The other is reverting. Check out my pictures of GP on the data base.

There is a site called Streaked Hostas.com that has Athena for $35, That's about the best price I've seen so far. Has anyone bought anything from this vendor ?

I am not familiar with that site or name on the site myself.

One thing that the hybridizers have said about choosing among seedlings for a hosta as a breeder, is to choose one where ALL of the leaves have streaks, because otherwise it will revert. I think that may be another thing to watch for when choosing a plant for my garden when I want a streaker.

I have seen Lakeside Mom, Fickle Blue Jeans, and Zing Zang mentioned as being used for hybridizing by some people. They could be fairly stable. I do want Fickle Blue Jeans myself.

That's good info to know,but makes buying by mail-order iffy.

springcolor - if you are just starting to build your hosta collection, I would stick primarily to stable varieties and then add some streakers as your resources allow. They certainly can stabilize, but some stay streaked quite well. In my own garden, I have an unnamed streaker which was a gift. so far it's stable. I also have a lovely streaked sport of 'Pewterware' which a friend gave to me and it's doing very well as is 'Ice Age Trail'. I also have a plant which was bought as 'Liberty Bell' which stabilized immediately into 'Bell Ringer' and my 'Stealth' has stabilized into something, likely unnamed. And, of course, as your collection grows, so the possibility of finding your very own streaked sport.

Ann thats good advice. I like hosta but am not a serious collector, sorry not good words on this foum.
Most of mine are un-named.

I just liked the way they looked. I was putting in an oder to I love hostas for some Heucheras (my collection addiction plant of choice)
I also bought Ice Age Trail and Allegan Fog hosta as suggested by CJ. I will give them a test drive. Most of my shade is take up with heuchera.

I read that the reason for the unstable forms is that the two leave color is two different tissues and that is way they revert.
What is the storty on a few that have three colors in there leaves?

I'm afraid I don't know. Have never gotten into WHY hostas are the colours they are.

Hi all -- catching up here as it has been a while (too long) -- anyways I have Athena -- got it from our own Ed (Bentley Gardens) and he is also affiliated with www.streakedhostas.com... I purchased Athena last year from Ed via one of our co-ops for $20.00 -- lovely plant and doing well in my garden!!

His site is http://www.bentleygardens.com

But he is always lurking on Cubits.com in the co-op area with MamaJack!!

This was taken in mid July after the slugs had attacked (notice new growth in the middle):

That is very pretty. Love all the white

Nice Hosta Christine, sounds like you got a very good price too. I really like Bently Gardens, I have never bought any thing from the Coop, not yet anyway, but I did buy a few plants from Bently through eBay.