At last, a post where I'll probably end up splitting up the posting because I have SOOOO many ... I digress, first the obligatory chuckles!







And here's the first one of the R's... 'Rainforest Sunrise'

I've had this variety since '09 and have found it to be somewhat picky to grow in containers, almost regardless of what mix of medium I use. Never been able to grow it to any significant size
Do like the leafy bracts!



I did have it planted in one of my raised planters for a few years and it did much better there than in containers. Must admit I do not recall why I moved it out of there....


This is 'Raspberry Sundae'. I ordered this online as a bare root in '19 and when it started to unfurl it became very obvious it was not as labeled, what I had in fact was 'Gooseberry Sundae', the all-green form. And that's a nice enough variety in its own right but not what I'd expected. The vendor was gracious enough to send me a replacement the following year and this is it!






As the seed pods ripen they take on a darker and darker shade of red to almost black.


Next up I have 'Ray of Hope'. When I first received this in '08 as part of a trade -remember those- it arrived showing signs of foliar nematodes, which I successfully treated with a bleach bath. It was a fair sized division when I got it and for highest rate of survival from the brutal bath it received I divided in three. This is them the year after, not looking any the worse for wear.


It's a fairly early riser. This was shot March 1st.

It's been a very reliable grower for me. As you can see in this shot it readily stabilizes into an edge-variegated form called 'Roller Coaster Ride'.


I very much like the flowers, nice form and colour. It however is not very prone to setting seeds, some pods will develop from time to time but I've never seen viable seeds in those. I have used its pollen in crosses, most notably in across I did a few years ago with sieboldii which lead to what I call 'Tousled Hair', a variety notable for its closed/fused flowers. It'll show up under the T's soon.

The pods are rather on the skinny side....

Here is rectifolia var. pruinosa which I received from Don Rawson in '16. As you would expect with a specie it has been a good grower, flowers abundantly and sets seed readily of course. I have not bothered germinating seeds nor using pollen in crosses, just haven't got the space for that....but I've seen numerous volunteer seedlings....





Back in 2021 I saw a small number of stinkbugs roaming around the rectifolia scapes with seedpods. It was interesting to see the difference between their juvenile and adult form. The adult form is the upper one, the juveniles can be completely black.

Over the years I've had it I've noticed a degree of varience in the colour of the flowers which I suspect has to do with nutrient levels. Last year was one of rich colour.


I've seen periodic examples of whorled flowers, this was last year and it wasn't the first time.

Rainbow's End

Next installment begins with 'Red October'. Don't we all just love those red legs..

Over the years I've had it I have just it several times in hanging baskets at eye-level...





It does set seed but I've never bothered germinating any.


This is 'Regal Splendor'. I got this in '12 at Costco, if I remember correctly.






About 4 years ago I noticed an offset that was showing little in terms of variegation on a much narrower leaf. I did separate it but the following year it was back to its old self again..

For some reason I don't seem to have any pictures of flowers of this variety. It is considered to be sterile, certainly doesn't set seed.
The next one is 'Remember Me'.







This is a sport of 'June' and although it's supposed to be white-centered it shows the same chameleon-like behaviour as its progenitor: keep it in the shade and it's not near as bright...



'Restless Sea' never fails to bring a smile to my face, love the serrated edge to its leaves.






Pollinator busy at work!

Don't seem to have any pictures of pods for some reason.... oh well...

'Revolution' I have had since about '07 or so and as with most Fortunei offspring it has been a good grower. Readily flowers, sets plenty of seed and most interestingly a good number of the seedpods are either totally white or have just a mere green stripe on them. Seeds from the pods with the green stripe are always fun to germinate. A great many of them will be fatal whites but there'll be something funky showing up.



The other funky thing that shows up regularly is green sports. I refer to them as "Green Revolution" and they make a nice clump in their own right when you grow them on. The leaves of the sport tend to be much more rounded than the parent.

Here's a "Green Revolution" grown on and you'll notice a fair number of leaves are cupping. This is a rapid grower and quickly gets to where it makes a statement with its stature and attitude: 'Hey, look at me!'

Road Rage

Royal Crest

Royal Flush

Rainforest Sunrise

Raspberry Sundae

Red October

Remember Me

Rock Princess

Here's something you'll never see much at all. It's gold sport that showed up in a TC batch of 'Rhino Hide' which I got from Don Rawson in'16. It's a simple diploid, unlike its progenitor and Don decided it really wasn't very garden worthy and never pursued it. There's not many in existence and I'm very happy to have one. It's lutescent and a slow grower. It's called 'Rhino Gold'.



A few years ago I had one flower show double the number of petals and stamen. Never re-occurred...








Next up we have another 'June' descendant, this time it's 'Ripple Effect'.



I had this growing in a raised planter for a few years in the shade of a couple of rosemary bushes and it just wasn't doing anything, so I finally just dug it up and transplanted it into a 3-gallon container and off it went!






As you would sort of expect from 'June' offspring it has the same chameleon colour behaviour.


Last year I went as far as to plant out a division into the yard, in the shade of a rhododendron, along with a couple of relatives: 'Touch of Frost' and 'Touch of Class'. Here's hoping they'll establish themselves nicely this a year.

'Risky Business' is a sport of 'Striptease' and like 'Revolution' it's prone to throwing green sports, which I call 'Outta Business'. They're virtually indistinguishable for the 'Green Revolution' referenced in an earlier post.







Finally we come to 'Rubies and Ruffles'. All I have is a picture very early in the season that doesn't show it off very well. Alas, it is what it is and that's it for my R's!

rv314s said: Red October

Ralph, if it hadn't been for this posting of yours I'd complete forgotten about another R in my collection. What you show here I don't believe to be 'Red October'. RO has a slight waviness to the leaves but nothing like what shows in your picture and the leaf is too narrow for RO. I was at Phoenix about 6 years ago and they had a batch of red-petioled hostas labeled as 'Red October' and soon as I saw that I said to both myself and Gary that the labeling of those plants was incorrect. Back then I couldn't for the life of me come up with what it could be and just let it slip over the intervening years. A couple of years ago someone suggested that what I had was most likely 'Red Stilts' and while that was a good suggestion I'm not totally convinced that's the correct ID. I say that based on the colour of the flowers I see in the HL and what I see on mine.

Having said all that, this is what I bought originally as 'Red October' the year I got it.



If you compare the picture of the flower with the flower picture shown in the HL I think you'll agree the HL picture is quite a bit darker in colour. Mine does set seed and the pods are reddish.

Yours is like mine, and it most certainly is not 'Red October'.

rv314s said: Rainforest Sunrise

Ralph, 'Rainforest Sunrise' should be medio-variegated and cupped. This plant is neither and I have no suggestion as to what it might be. RS is out of 'Maui Buttercups' and if this were to be an all-green sport out of a RS TC batch it lacks the cupping and rugosity in the leaves.

It may seem as if I'm raining on your parade but I'm not. Mislabeling happens a fair bit in the cultivar plant trade, not just in hostas. And it may be as innocent as a customer pulling out a tag and putting it back in the wrong pot..

Hosta 'Red October' In the ground since 2016, slow growing

'Reptilian' In the ground since 2016



'Rhino Hide' Very slow growing

'Ripple Effect' Nice hosta, good grower, in the ground since 2016

'Road Rage'


'Regal Splendor' Nice vase shape, in the ground since 2016

Royal Tiara

I was also going to question that being Rainforest Sunrise.





Royal Tiara

Rock and Roll

rv314s said: Rainforest Sunrise

Not sure what you have there, but it isn't 'Rainforest Sunrise' which has a green margin and cupped leaves.

I've got about a dozen 'R' hostas and will divide them into 3 sections.

'Rainbow's End', Aug. 27
This one has been in my garden since 2009. I find it to be about as tough as they come though it's not a fast grower. Very pretty when it blooms in late August with red scapes. 2021 Hosta of the Year.


'Rainforest Sunrise', June 30
I acquired this in 2008. It's another which remains quite small, though I had a section in the middle of mine which sported to solid green and needed to be removed. I do find the cupped leaves attract a lot of garden debris. Hosta of the Year 2013.


'Raspberries and Cream', July 25
This sport of 'Raspberry Sorbet' was an impulse buy in 2008 when I saw wispy streaks in some of the leaves. It's a very late bloomer.


'Raspberry Sundae', Sept. 9
This is my second version of this plant and it's quite new - 2023. My first grew well for a few years and then dwindled in size. I tried rejuvenating it in a pot, but finally composted it. This one is actually in a pot sunk into the ground close to my oak tree. I find the petioles are much redder earlier in the season.

'Red October', June 30
This was a gift in 2007. I find it's easier to see the red legs early in the season. For that reason, it might be a good one to grow in a raised pot. I do find the slugs like this one a lot and by the time it blooms in October, it's usually lace.


'Regal Splendor', Aug. 8
This dates from 2006 and when I made a large new garden in my front yard in 2008, I was hoping it would be the centrepiece. The reality is that it's too close to my Linden tree to have grown as fast as I'd hoped, but in recent years it's looked good.


'Remember Me', Aug. 8 and one from early May
Mine looks very different from Pieter's, emerging with bright yellow leaf centres and it quickly tones down to creamy white, never looking remotely like 'June. It's another that grows fairly slowly and took several years to show much. I've had it since 2006 and it's been divided once that I can remember.



'Restless Sea', Aug. 27
I love this one which was new in 2007. Sawtooth edges to the leaves and when it blooms, the scapes stick out in all directions. White flowers and white leaf backs and it looks very much like a churning sea.

Can anyone tell me why they grow Road Rage About 25 years ago I threw away Lunar Eclipse and banished another cultivar for what my records show as "Pollock's Pucker". For some reason I cannot find the source of this discriptor