We've done the hosta alphabet and we've done seedlings as well. How about sharing pictures of our hostas that show certain characteristics? I propose we start with minis. Of course there are many, many varieties that are minis.

What are your favourites and why? Do they need to be pampered in pots or will they hold their own in the garden with the big guys? Do you have any special ways of displaying minis? (One friend has/had a fairy garden and used lots of minis in it.)

And if you need help deciding whether or not one of yours is a mini, this is a good resource. http://www.hostalists.org/host...

Here are a few of my favourites. I've got lots and may post these over a couple of days.


This is 'Atom Smasher', an unregistered mini that I grow in a 5" pot and have had since 2017.


This is 'Baby Bunting' and some people list it as small rather than a mini, but mine is definitely mini. I've had it since 2008 and it does just fine in the garden.


'Blue Ice'. Another that may be on the fence as to size. It is registered, but is not on Don's list, yet I've seen references to it as a mini. However, I've also felt that the actual leaf size on mine may be pushing mini status though the plant itself is very small. I've had it since 2006 and it's a lovely blue early in the season, but that blue is generally gone by mid-late July. This photo June 30 and the plant to the right, for size, is 'First Frost'.


'Cameo' is one of the four sports of 'Baby Bunting' registered by Hans Hansen in 2002. I've had mine since 2007. At least half of that time was in a trough, but it's been in the garden for several years now and is doing fine.


I call this 'Cheatin Heart' which is a registered mini. Full disclosure, it's actually a sport from my 'Silver Threads and Golden Needles' (a 2nd generation sport from 'Cheatin Heart') that looks just like CH; so that's what I call it. Maybe not really correct. It still shares a pot with STGN. BTW, it sported about 2018.


'Cracker Crumbs' has been in my garden since 2005. It's a registered mini, though for some reason is NOT on the list for which I gave you a link. It's bright yellow in early spring with a very narrow darker green margin. It darkens up some during the season. I have some of this in the garden, but this division in the pot grows better.


That's all for now. More tomorrow.

ViolaAnn said:
And if you need help deciding whether or not one of yours is a mini, this is a good resource. http://www.hostalists.org/host...

'Cracker Crumbs' has been in my garden since 2005. It's a registered mini, though for some reason is NOT on the list for which I gave you a link. It's bright yellow in early spring with a very narrow darker green margin. It darkens up some during the season. I have some of this in the garden, but this division in the pot grows better.

Ann, there's a good reason it's not on Don's list -which as it happens I maintain for him with his input- and that's because it's not a mini. Minis are supposed to have a leaf blade area of less than 6.0 square inches (38.7 sq cm). Check the {url=http://hostaregistrar.org/detail.php?id=1141]registration details[/url] and you'll find leaf size given as 3.5" x 2" which translates to 7 square inches... You'll find it on Don's list of Very Small Hostas.

And Ann, thank you for starting this thread, I'll post some soon as I have access to my computer again...

Here we go then... and first off will be 'Lemon Frost' which I've had since '09. It's been a reliable grower and makes a nice, tidy clump that's been a welcome addition.

Over the years I've seen some instability but nothing ever stabilized...



Here we have it at the top and the bottom pot contains 'Lemon Lime' which I've had for the same length of time. I keep a large 5 gallon pot of it that's just filled to the brim and makes a nice, bright contribution. A nice, tight clump like that also makes for a wonderful flower display by late June.






I was about to add my various mouse ears but that would have made the post very long, so they'll be a separate one. Next

That's twice now I have populated a post only for it to disappear when I went to preview. It's getting late, I'll have another whack at it tomorrow.

PieterK said: Ann, there's a good reason it's not on Don's list -which as it happens I maintain for him with his input- and that's because it's not a mini. Minis are supposed to have a leaf blade area of less than 6.0 square inches (38.7 sq cm). Check the {url=http://hostaregistrar.org/detail.php?id=1141]registration details[/url] and you'll find leaf size given as 3.5" x 2" which translates to 7 square inches... You'll find it on Don's list of Very Small Hostas.

I gave that link to Don's lists.
But I think if a hosta is registered as a mini, it should be on the list and I maintain that 'Cracker Crumbs' IS a mini, list or not.

Well, more minis. Lists or not, I also have some plants ON the lists which are most definitely NOT minis in my garden. I also just looked over the list of "Very small" hostas and many of the one I have are on BOTH that list plus the mini list. The lists are a guideline, but there are some big inconsistencies with them.

And I've got some that are on the mini list that are NOT minis - 'Blue Cadet', 'Bashful', and some on the "Very small" list that might qualify as small, but definitely not VERY small. And I know we are talking leaf size, not mound size (although I think it's a pretty stupid way to determine size).

Anyway, I'm going to proceed with those that I have which are in any of those categories.

But for today, just my MICE. I have only a few because IMNSHO, many of this family are frauds. Too many look alike and too many are totally unstable. And my favorite mouse of the lot is from a totally different family. I let it share the trough with the others, but it's unrelated.

Over the years I've grown many of the family. With the exception of 'Pure Heart' which I still grow, EVERY "Mouse" that was light or white in the leaf centre as rapidly become solid blue. 'Royal Mouse Ears' sported to 'Frosted Mouse Ears' and I can't tell the difference between FME and 'Mighty Mouse' w/o looking at the marker. With the exception of one division of 'Blue Mouse Ears' which is in the garden, all the others live in 5" pots that are sunk into a round trough under the watchful eyes of a cat and in winter that go into my veggie garden. I've also grown 'Sun Mouse' which is related, but not a sport as are all the others. It grew well for a couple of years and then progressively went downhill and disappeared one winter.

Here they are:
'Blue Mouse Ears', the division in the garden.


The BME in my trough.


'Church Mouse'


'Frosted Mouse' Ears', June 30


'Mighty Mouse', July 25


'Mini Skirt', June 30


'Pure Heart' - the ONLY one I've grown successfully that has a white centre.


'Country Mouse' - perhaps my favourite and it's NOT a member of the same family. Still, a really cute mini.


My mouse trough on June 30.

Trying my Mice again, hopefully the post won't crash again. Third time's a charm and all that...
The grand-daddy of 'em all: 'Blue Mouse Ears'.... as if I needed to tell anyone that.

I've had BME since '08 and it has always been a favourite. It is fertile and I have grown some seedlings from it but nothing special so they were given away. It does make a nice display when in bloom.

Back in '22 a friend gave me a number of BME sports, this is their family portrait. They are 'Frosted Mouse Ears', 'Lucky Mouse', 'Snow Mouse' and 'Miniskirt'. Of these 4 SM has proven to be quite unstable and I've had to remove reversions last year in order to be left with some variegated shoots.

You're right, Ann. There are too many named sports that are frightfully similar to the point of it being a toss-up as to which is which. That happens when sports occur on different continents. Take 'Lucky Mouse' and 'Frosted Mouse Ears' as an example. LM originated in the Netherlands and FME is of US origin. By year's end you'll be hard-pressed to tell the difference, in spring FME may well present itself with a greenish edge before it lightens up.

Pandora's Box

Dragon Scales

Dragon Tails

I need to add a few more this evening.

I've got several that are on the REGISTERED mini list, that in my garden are NOT minis.

They are 'Alakazaam', 'Blue Cadet' which I swear is small, not mini (it's quite a lot larger than 'Baby Bunting'), and 'Curly Fries' (you should have seen mine when it was growing in full sun).

Anyway, here's a more recent picture of 'Curly Fries'. It had a set-back when a sapling Mountain Ash put a root through it. It's been in a different garden location for 2 years now. But there's no way I think of it as mini.


'Dragon Tails' definitely IS a mini though, but it's capable of holding its own in the garden.


'Hidden Cove', OTOH, doesn't grow for me.


'Hope' is one of the 4 sports from 'Baby Bunting' and for me, it grows the best.


And 'Illicit Affair' is on the list as a mini, but I think the leaves on mine are larger. OTOH, 'Silver Threads and Golden Needles', which his related, has smaller leaves and is NOT on the list of minis.

"Illicit Affair'


'Silver Threads and Golden Needles'

Been awhile since I posted more minis. Let's try for a few more and I hope I don't repeat any since I've left alphabetical order.

'X-rated', Aug 8
I've had this for awhile but it was getting lost in the garden. Last year I potted it and it looks much happier.


This I simply call "Weedling", but it's almost certainly a seedling from 'Lakeside Zinger'. It's got tough little green leaves with occasional white wisps in them. Makes a good ground cover.


'Twist of Lime'. A member of the 'Lemon Lime' family. It's growing at the end of a large border of sibling 'Lemon Frost'.


'Tiny Tears' is a fast-growing mini.


'Tears of Joy' is a sport from 'Tiny Tears' that has little folded leaves and a peculiar flower that usually has no petals.


'Surfer Girl', one I've not had too long but which has grown well.