...do I need this hosta?

I've been seeing examples of it around my (small) town, all large and gorgeous. (At least I'm about 95% sure I've identified it properly--the leaf shape gives it away.) They all seem to be in some sun and the yellow margins are wide and very eye catching.

What are your experiences with Montana aureomarginata? Should I just hold out for a nice-sized 'Liberty,' instead?

I don't have one, but if you look in the center of the picture on Web Walkway's homesite, that is MA in the middle:
http://www.webwalkway.com/

I've seen the plant in person and it is very impressive! Also very different than Liberty. If you have the room, I would get both.

I have 1 and love it!!!! It really started to take off this year... it is the 3rd year in my garden.

conifers said:I've seen the plant in person and it is very impressive! Also very different than Liberty. If you have the room, I would get both.

Hehe, yeah...I think I will have both eventually. I actually didn't mean to imply that it looked like 'Liberty.' I was just thinking that if I was going to buy just one large yellow margined hosta with upright growth I wanted to pick the most vigorous one. I'm an impatient gardener. (Now, there's an oxymoron for ya!)

I did pick up 'Liberty' today. I decided to drive out to a nursery I'd never been to before only to find that the nursery owner's yard was full of gorgeous hostas and she had shaded hoop houses filled with some of the best cultivars. Both 'Liberty' and 'Mighty Mouse' followed me home today, and wow...they're both gorgeous, well-grown plants.

Karen
Montana Aureomarginata is one of my favorites in the spring. It definitely passes the ten foot rule easily. It continues to look great all season long in my garden. You should be able to pick this hosta up at a very reasonable price. Picture was taken 2 years ago in early May as it was unfurling.

Here is another picture taken this spring. It isn't difficult to pick out the Montana.

Liberty, on the other hand is only a couple of years old in our garden. So far it hasn't really impressed me much. It isn't much different than a dozen others we have in the garden. Hopefully over the next couple of years it will develop into the stunning hosta we expect it to be.

Another Montana you might want to watch for is Montana Moonshine. This one is not as readily available yet , but I think it will really be a standout when it matures.

I really like 'Liberty' and it is one of my hubby's favorites. I bought mine as a single division off a large mature plant from Jim's Hostas. It has been doing well, still only a few eyes (three I think?) but large and impressive. Here is is a few weeks ago. Mine is in a rather dark part of the yard so the borders stay yellow-ish all season, but I'm okay with that.

Ohh I like the look of the Montana Moonshine -- when will that one become available?? Maybe a drive to Iowa with a shovel is in my near future...

kitgary, those pictures clinch it--I need Montana Aureomarginata.

Montana 'Moonshine' is gorgeous, too. Definitely going to keep my eye on that one. I really do like the shape of the Montana hostas, too.

I wish I had room for more LARGE hostas! I've got 'Liberty' and have seen a mature 'Liberty' and I'm afraid it will have to be IT for awhile. this is what it looked like last week. I can't believe that I somehow didn't take a pic of it yesterday when I got most of the rest.

Like I said,Liberty is only a couple of years old in our garden. In the future we fully expect it to become a spectacular hosta. Another sport of Sagae that we have had longer and has had time to develop is H. Majesty definitely a standout this time of year.