Name that Plant - The Misuse of Trademarks in Horticulture

by Tony Avent updated 12/25/2007

When is a plant name not a plant name? The sad answer is more often than not in our current world, where marketing comes first and accuracy second. The current plant naming trend often violates the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP), US Trademark Law, and occasionally the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules concerning deceptive business practices.
To understand the problem, let's go back in time to 1952, when the first International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (hence referred to as the Code) was published to standardize the confusing way in which plant cultivars were named. The Code sets forth the way people around the world communicate about plants, and as long as everyone abides by the Code, problems in horticultural communication are minimal. Unfortunately we have moved into a time where more and more people are undermining the Code due in part to both ignorance and greed, creating a taxonomic nightmare.
The current trend of improper and confusing use of cultivar names and trademarks, both by growers and marketers of plants, has done an irreparable long-term disservice to the industry and the public by hopelessly confusing the naming of plants and the communication about these plants. Even in the latest edition of Dr. Michael Dirr's wonderful Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (5th ed.), it is clearly evident, even someone as knowledgeable as Dr. Dirr doesn't always know which is a cultivar name and which is simply a company's marketing name.
The Nomenclature CodeTo understand where the confusion lies, let's start with a few basics about plant taxonomy. The naming of cultivated plants is governed by a small book, the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants 2004. In the Preamble to the Code, the purpose is stated: "The Code aims at the provision of a stable method of naming distinguishable groups of cultivated plants, avoiding and rejecting the use of names that may cause error or ambiguity or throw the above disciplines into confusion." While the Code is not a legal document, such International Codes are usually recognized as legally valid in most court disputes.
In Principle 3, the Code states, "Each cultivar or group with a particular circumscription can bear only one accepted name, the earliest that is in accordance with the Rules." Principle 4 of the Code brings up another important point, "Names of plants must be universally and freely available for use by any person to denote a distinguishable group of plants. In some countries, plants are marketed using trademarks. Such marks are the intellectual property of a person or some corporate body and are not therefore freely available for any person to use; consequently, they cannot be considered as names."
Article 19 of the Code further deals with cultivar names. The most pertinent section is Article 19.13, which states, "For a cultivar name to be established on or after 1 January 1959, its epithet is to be a word or words in a modern language other than Latin, except as permitted under Article 19.6, 19.7, and Article 19.24." There are many other requirements, but these are not pertinent for discussion of the trademark issue. Now that we understand the basis for naming plants, let's look at how the improper use of trademarks has made a mockery of the spirit of the Code.
TrademarksTrademark names are intended to be used only to designate product origin or brands. Trademarking can be as simple as writing ™ after a name, but for a more sound legal footing, the trademark is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The trademark then becomes a Registered Trademark® for a cost of about $250 (unless you have it done by a lawyer). Trademarks are owned by an individual or company and cannot be affixed to an individual item. They are valid for 10 years if used correctly in commerce, and can be renewed indefinitely for 10-year periods.
A classic example of a properly used trademark is Tylenol®. If you look through a drug store, you will find the company had registered Tylenol® as a trademark. The product that you purchase, however is not TYLENOL®, but instead one of many products, such as TYLENOL® Cold and Sinus Medicine or TYLENOL® Pain Relievers. In most of these products, the generic name is acetaminophen. If a company's trademark name becomes recognized by the public as the product itself (i.e. generic), the trademark becomes invalid. Several commonly known examples of trademarks being invalidated because they have become generic in the minds of the consumer include: aspirin, cellophane, thermos, and escalator. Many other incorrectly used trademarks are still in effect, simply because they have not been challenged.
The current improper use of trademarks in the horticultural industry had its origin more than a half century ago. The worst culprits, in the early years, were the rose and bedding plant industry. The rose industry seems to have been the first to use nonsensical, non-conforming names for plant cultivars, while the bedding plant industry completely thumbed its nose at the Code by not even bothering to come up with any cultivar names for most of their introductions. One of the most famous roses in horticulture is one that everyone knows as Peace. Surprisingly, there is no such plant as Rosa 'Peace'. The plant we grow under this name is actually Rosa 'Madame A. Meilland'. The trade name Peace was coined by Conard Pyle Nursery, and used to market Rosa 'Madame A. Meilland' after World War II to capitalize on the post-war sentiment. The plant became known in the public's mind as the Peace rose.
Some of the larger nurseries soon realized that regardless of the cultivar name of the plant, they could come up with their own proprietary (trademarked) marketing name and use these names to promote plants which already had valid cultivar names. The idea was to convince the public that the company's marketing name was actually the name of the plant. The next step in the downward spiral was when nurserymen began intentionally giving their new plants stupid nonsensical cultivar names. Subsequent plant promotions would often only tout the marketing name, causing the consumer to often not realize the plant had a real cultivar name. The cultivar name, if included at all in ads and tags, would be printed in very small print in comparison to the "marketing name". The entire idea is for the company's marketing (trademark) name to become the generic name of the product in the consumer's mind. The practice of using nonsensical names violates the entire purpose for having an International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants while the use of trademarks as generic names violates the legal use of trademarks.
Some breeders blindly follow such trends in choosing nonsensical cultivar names, not realizing that these names are the only official name of their new introduction. A UK primrose breeder, Geoff Nicolle, wanted to name and patent his new primrose after his granddaughter Katy McSparron. Instead he patented it under the cultivar name Primula 'Prinic' PP 12,892 and marketed it under his granddaughters name. I have corresponded with his granddaughter who is furious and stubbornly insistent that the plant is named after her. Unfortunately, it's becoming quite common where people who are to be honored or commemorated with a plant being named after them are left with nothing but an invalid trademark with no plant attached. A great new plant is then stuck with a nonsensical name.
As I mentioned earlier, Article 19.13 of the Code does not allow for the use of these nonsensical names. In contradicting itself, however, the current version of the Code now allows nonsensical code name exceptions (Article 19.27). This is where political pressures have crept into what should have remained a scientific document. Privately, one of the authors of the Code told me the breeders of certain worldwide crops such as alstroemeria, carnations, and roses would raise too much of a fuss if the nomenclature committee made the wording in the Code any stronger. In other words, the authors of the current edition of the Code caved to those who were already violating the Code, similar to the concept of changing laws so that the number of criminals diminish.
Many breeders and growers of new plants properly choose to try and recoup their investment in producing a new plant by securing a royalty payment from those producing the plant. Plant patents are the only legal means of protecting a proprietary plant. Patents are good for 20 years (formerly 17 years) after the date of patent filing. After this time, anyone can legally propagate and sell a formerly patented cultivar. Patents require quite a bit of paperwork and a fee that many smaller growers may find a bit expensive. Many growers have the false impression that trademarks give them an easier and cheaper alternative to patents, but this is not the case.
To further complicate matters, some plants are both patented and subsequently marketed under a company's trademarked name. Some nurserymen think they can get the 20-year protection the plant patent provides, plus a further measure of protection by trademarking a second (marketing) name for each plant. Once the patent expires, others could propagate a formerly patented plant, but in theory could not sell it under the company's trademark name. A classic example is Monrovia's Limemound® spirea. At the end of its patent protection in 2003, everyone could propagate Spirea 'Monhub' PP5834, but Monrovia assumed no one else could then legally sell the plant as Limemound® spirea. Unfortunately both nurseries and many trademark lawyers who advise nurseries seem not to understand basic trademark law.
Trademark law states that a trademark name can be used with (not for) any product produced by the owner of the trademark. For example, if the owner of the trademark was growing four different gold spireas or 100 different trees, they could all be marketed under the same trademark name, despite being distinct cultivars. Trademark names belong only to a company, and not to a particular plant or product. In other words, a single cultivar named Limemound spirea does not exist.
Article 12.1 of the Code cites Rosa 'Korlanum', which is marketed under three different trademark names, each owned by a different company, Surrey, Sommerwind, and Vente D'ete. This causes the public to assume that there are three different roses, when they are all the same plant. In the case of Loropetalum chinensis 'Hines Purple Leaf', it is marketed under at least two different trademark names, Plum Delight, and Pizzaz. This practice is becoming more common as the lack of understanding about proper trademark use deteriorates. Are you confused yet?
The issue becomes more confusing the more you investigate. Do you remember the Cornus florida x kousa hybrid dogwoods from Elwin Orton's breeding program at Rutgers? They were patented with the cultivar names of C. 'Stellar Pink' PP7207, C. 'Galaxy' PP7204, C. 'Aurora' PP7205, C. 'Constellation' PP7210, C. 'Rutfan' PP7206, and C. 'Rutlan' PP7732. As you can see, all of the dogwoods except two were given sensical (word or words in a modern language) cultivar names. Interestingly enough, once the dogwoods hit the market, the original sensical cultivar names were changed by the breeder to nonsensical names and the original sensical cultivar names were then trademarked. For example, Cornus 'Stellar Pink' became 'Rutgan' (Stellar Pink®), 'Galaxy' became 'Rutban' (Galaxy®), 'Aurora' became 'Rutdan' (Aurora®), 'Constellation' became 'Rutcan' (Constellation®), 'Rutlan' was marketed as (Ruth Ellen®) and 'Rutfan' was marketed as (Stardust®). This violates the International Nomenclature Code; section 19.13 as cited above and #9 of the Preamble, which states "The only proper reason for changing the name of a distinguishable group of plants are either a more profound knowledge of the facts resulting from adequate taxonomic study or the necessity of giving up a name that is contrary to the Rules of a Code." Therefore the correct names for each of these hybrids were the original cultivar names under which they were patented. The reason for the name switching is so that once the patent expires, anyone can sell the dogwoods under the nonsensical names, but in theory they cannot use the breeders trademark name. By trying to make sure everyone knows the plants generically by his trade name, the breeder has, however, intentionally rendered his trademark invalid.
If you visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, www.USPTO.gov, you will see the Patent Office itself has no understanding of either US Trademark Law or the ICNCP. A classic example of this confusion occurs in the patented plant, Itea virginica 'Sprich' PP 10,988. Despite the fact the cultivar name of 'Sprich' is not a "word or words in a modern language" (Article 19.13) and therefore violates the spirit of the Nomenclature Code, it has become the legal cultivar name once it was indicated as such in the patent application. If you read the patent application for I. virginica 'Sprich', it states, "The new Itea virginica cultivar is being marketed under the trade name Little Henry®." Because a trademark cannot be permanently affixed to a particular item, it shows the USPTO doesn't even understand their own regulations.
This use of trademarks as secondary "pseudo-cultivar" names for a particular plants violates both the spirit of the Nomenclature Code, as well as US trademark law. Trademark law clearly states if a trademark name becomes the common use (generic) name of a particular item, then the trademark becomes invalidated. Trademark lawyers have long advised nurseries to write the cultivar name in single quotes and smaller type and then the trademark name without single quotes in larger type. In their minds, this keeps their trademark valid. Nurseries are also told by their trademark lawyers as long as they enforce their trademarks, by making sure the cultivar name is always included with the trademark name, their trademarks would remain valid. This bizarre thinking, however, defeats the entire reason for improperly using trademarks, which is to trick the public into thinking the trademark name is the generic name of the product. It is this intentional deceit that will one day bring the Federal Trade Commission onto the horticultural scene.
A properly used trademark would be one such as Star® Roses, which is used to market a large group of roses under a single umbrella trademark. This trademark would have remained valid if they had not then began using their trademark to also market individual cultivars such as Rosa 'Wezaprt' as Bronze Star™ Rose and Rosa 'Wezlavn' as Silver Star® Rose.
Court CasesUntil 2006, one of the few cases that might have gone to trial was when Iverson Perennials tried to enforce a legal trademark they owned for the name Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue'. The unpatented plant had been previously published with 'Butterfly Blue' as the cultivar name, so they were wrong in both trying to trademark a cultivar name and also by using their trademark improperly on a single product. Fortunately, a number of nurseries banded together against Iverson's and the trademark infringement case was abandoned before it reached court.
Finally, in 2006, a case of improperly used trademarks actually reached the courts in Van Well Nursery Inc. et al. v. Mony Life Insurance Company et al. (decided March 16, 2006). In this complicated case, Mony Life Insurance Co. acquired property from A/B Hop Farms due to a defaulted loan. The property contained apple trees known as Smoothee® and Scarlet Spur®. When Mony Life Insurance Co. tried to sell the land by mentioning that it contained Smoothee® and Scarlet Spur® apple trees, Van Well Nursery and Hilltop Nurseries sued for trademark infringement. Their contention was that the apples trees were actually the cultivars 'Snipes' and 'Gibson', although they had marketed them under the trademark names Smoothee® and Scarlet Spur®. The Lanham Trademark Act, section 15, says is not the actual misuse of the trademark for a single product that makes it invalid, but instead the perception of the public that the trademark name is the product itself that renders the mark invalid.
The judge in the Van Well case correctly ruled that in the public domain, the apples were known as Smoothee® and Scarlet Spur®, and therefore the legally registered trademarks were now invalid, because they had become know as the product instead of the source of the product. (The Smoothee® trademark was actually not immediately cancelled, only because the owner was not a party in this particular lawsuit.) The Scarlet Spur® trademark was cancelled despite the fact the trademark owners had followed their legal advice and always included the registered trademark symbol along with the correct cultivar names when advertising the apples. The case hinged on the age-old adage in determining the validity of a trademark. A trademark must tell "who you are" and not "what you are."
This case has huge implications for those in the nursery industry who have improperly used trademarks to market individual plants for the last several decades. The case illustrates that despite best faith efforts on the part of the trademark owners to keep their trademark names valid, it is impossible once the public views the trademark name as generic. Not only will the industry be left with shameful nonsensical cultivar names that will exist as long as the plants are grown, but nurseryman who have spent large sums of money on trademarks and trademark attorney fees and then used the trademarks in violation of US Trademark Law, will be left feeling the financial sting with no way to recoup their losses. Once the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wakes up and is urged to act as they were recently with the discrepancy of advertised and delivered pot sizes, those who market individual plants under trade names will have another fight on their hands.
It would be nice if nurseries, who indeed are ethical, but Misinformed would take the lead in reversing this terrible trend. It would also be a nice change if groups such as the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) and the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) would take a strong position on the long-term detrimental effects of dual plant naming through trademarks, both to the industry and the consuming public. The best way to end this trend is for reputable nurseries to take a public stand against this confusing practice for the long-term good of horticulture. Short of this, it is going to be up to the Garden Writers Association (GWA) and the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) to identify plants by their one and only cultivar name, and hopefully at the same time embarrass those who persist in making up stupid nonsensical names for good plants and illegally using trademarks to deceive the public.

Leaves that Light Up the Garden - Variegated Plants

by Tony Avent Appeared in Fine Gardening Magazine Fall 1992

Yuck...as one visitor described a variegated plant. When I asked why, he likened using variegated plants to trying to match plaids with stripes...hmmm. Variegated plants suffer from the outdated belief that all plants are supposed to be green. Plants which aren't green, are somehow seen as sick or unworthy of cultivation.
Variegated plants are most appreciated by serious plant collectors, probably because of their uniqueness. If everyone has a green form of plant X, then the plant collector naturally wants to have the variegated form, often simply to be different. One mail order nursery, Glasshouse Works in Stewart Ohio, has as one of their goals to be the best source of variegated plants in the country.
Many variegated plants are so unusual that they will forever be relegated to the status of collector plants. Being a plant collector, I value these plants some for their beauty, but most for their being unusual. The challenge of blending large numbers of these plants into the garden is one worthy of even the finest designer.
Some gardeners like the patterning in the leaf...usually the arts and croissant crowd. Designers often like the ability of variegated plants to lighten up a normally dark landscape. In a landscape design, variegated plants are often used as the center of attention or as a focal point in the landscape. Despite the prejudice against variegated plants as a group, there are many that have still become mainstream landscape plants.
Inquiring minds want to know what qualifies as a variegation. Variegation in plants is defined as the normal green portion of the plant leaf being replaced by white, cream, yellow, or occasionally other colors, which may be in the form of blotches or stripes. The variegations can occur on the edge of the leaves (marginate variegation), or in the center of the leaf (medio variegation.) Variegated plants which have neat regular leaf margins of white or gold and tend to be the most accepted by gardeners.
Less accepted by gardeners are variegated plants whose foliage is streaked with uneven patterning. These plants are often highly prized by plant collectors and completely shunned by most other gardeners. I must admit that most of these plants have foliage that sometimes resembles a classic case of micronutrient deficiency. The most common example is that of the variegated canna lily (Canna Nirvana ...syn Minerva). The strangest of variegations of course are the horizontal banding, seen in some of the ornamental grasses.
As a general rule, the variegated forms of most plants are far less vigorous than their green counterpart. This can easily be accounted for by the lack of chlorophyll in the variegated sections of the leaf. Many variegates lack enough chlorophyll to live once they are severed from the mother plant. Research has found that many variegated plants also tend to suffer more insect damage on the variegated parts of the foliage than in the green areas, obviously due to the weaker tissue. This is certainly not true on all variegated plants, but varies tremendously from plant to plant.
If the variegated sports are strong enough to support themselves, the questions of stability enters the picture. Many variegations will not maintain their identity, as they often have a tendency to revert back to their original more vigorous parents. If a solid green branch or shoot appears, then it should be removed immediately to retain the integrity of the variegated plant. Often seedlings will have streaked variegation when young, but will eventually settle down with age, either to and edge, center, or back to solid green.
While we may be fond of variegated plants on their own merits, they require much more effort to blend into the landscape. Plants with bold variegation seemingly scream for attention in the garden, hence their use as accent plants. As with all brightly variegated plants, they show off best when contrasted against a dark background. Whether planted against a mostly green hedge, or a larger backdrop of deciduous trees, some background is needed to properly display variegated trees and shrubs.
One of my favorites is the giant variegated dogwood, Cornus controversa Variegata. This spectacular tree is unfortunately seldom seen in this country. The wonderful specimens at White Flower Farm in Litchfield Connecticut are well worth the drive to view. The variegation is a good wide clean white edge contrasted against the dark green leaf center, and the nearly black stems.
There are other wonderful variegated dogwoods, both in the small tree and bush forms. Cornus florida has yielded many selections such as Cherokee Daybreak (white variegation and white flowers), Cherokee Sunset (yellow variegation and pink flowers), First Lady (yellow variegation and white flowers), just to mention a few.
Not to be overlooked is another species, Cornus kousa. Two great selections exist, Cornus kousa Snowboy with spectacular white edged foliage, which looks as though each leaf was hand painted. My personal favorite is Cornus kousa Gold Star, which has been on my lust list since seeing a spectacular specimen at John Elsley's garden in South Carolina, and at Jim Crosses nursery Environmentals on Long Island. Gold Star has a wide creamy yellow band through the center of each leaf. Although some specimens seem to revert, others appear completely stable.
Less heat tolerant (through zone 7), but no less wonderful are the variegated bush dogwoods. These bush dogwoods are another great example of variegation in the genus, with Cornus alba Elegantissima (green with white edge, red stems) being the most popular. Cornus sericea Silver and Gold gives the same leaf pattern, but with yellow stems. Cornus alba Gouchaultii is a lesser known cultivar which has yellow leaf margins combined with the red stems. As you can easily see, there is no shortage of variegation in the Cornus family.
Shrubs comprise the majority of mainstream variegated plants due to their potential use, or in many cases misuse around homes. The backbone of most gardens is the euonymus, of which variegated forms abound. My favorite of the upright forms remains Euonymus japonica Silver King. This upright growing form has beautiful dark green leaves with wide creamy white edges. The upright euonymus make great vertical accents in the garden. As with all euonymus, scale insects are a great concern. I have found that by limiting the number of euonymus in my garden, I have never had a problem with this insect.
Of the ground cover euonymus, Euonymus Emerald 'n Gold (green and yellow variegation), and Emerald Gaiety (white and gold variegation) are two favorites. These semi upright spreaders make large mats of evergreen color. Their versatility of growing both in sun and shade has made these plants a staple of every discount grocery store in the country. Another lesser known, but equally wonderful cultivar is Euonymus fortunei Harlequin. This new cultivar has mottled dark green and white leaves, and is quite striking...watch for it in your area soon.
In most of the country (zones 4-8), even the conifers have joined the picture, although variegation in this family is far from common. The most popular variegated conifer is the dragon's eye pine. Pinus densiflora Oculus draconis makes a spectacular sight with its horizontal banding of yellow and green. There are several fairly similar cultivars of Pinus densiflora and Pinus thunbergiana with reversal of color patterns which are extremely difficult to find in the trade.
The false cypress have as their representative Chamaecyparis pisifera Snow. This dwarf has light green foliage, tipped with a dusting of white 'Snow'. The light color on the tips burns easily in the south and must be grown in partial shade. Cryptomeria japonica Albo Spicata has a very similar habit with a nice dusting of white over the branches of this slow growing cultivar.
Not to be outdone are the backbone of the garden conifers the arborvitae. Thuja occidentalis Sherwood Frost is a beautiful slow growing cultivar with a dusting of white that becomes more prevalent in late summer and fall. One of my favorites Thuja plicata Zebrina has stunning variegation of gold and green, but unfortunately does not color well in our heat. Perhaps in the pacific northwest and in more northerly climates, this cultivar would be highly prized.
In the deciduous shrub category, the choices are more limited than in most groups. Forsythias are a group of plants from which several variegated cultivars have been selected. Unfortunately all of them have been dogs (at least in the south), until now. From Duncan and Davies Nursery in New Zealand comes Forsythia Fiesta. I fell in love with this several years ago, when I acquired the plant from Roy Klehm of Illinois. This dwarf forsythia (3' x 3") has beautiful gold foliage with a stable green edge. This is a plant which is still quite unknown in American gardens.
Down here in the south, we can grow many of the more tender shrubs such as variegated aucubas, variegated hydrangeas, variegated viburnum tinus, and variegated gardenias. Even here in the warmer section of zone 7b, however, a severe winter will take a toll on some of these choice plants. Many variegates have proven less hardy than their green counterparts.
Perennials offer a wide range of variegated choices, from the ornamental grasses, to ground covers, to variegated choices of mainstream perennials.
Ornamental grasses are a personal favorite for that sunny spot in the garden. From zone 5 southward, folks are gradually learning about the variegated miscanthus. The most common of course is Miscanthus sinensis Variegatus, a relatively large clumping grass with dynamic vertical striping, giving an almost white appearance from quite a distance. The biggest breakthrough for smaller gardens was the introduction of Miscanthus Morning Light. This very narrow leaf variegated cultivar is at home in even the smallest city gardens. The variegation on Miscanthus Morning Light is so subtle, and the texture so delicate, that even those who hate variegated plants would fall in love with this grass.
As I mentioned earlier, the miscanthus also contain some horizontal banded grasses. Miscanthus sinensis Zebrinus is a large imposing clump, while Miscanthus sinensis Strictus is a heavier striped, but very upright selection. A new selection from North Carolina is Miscanthus sinensis Kirk Alexander. While not as heavily striped, the dwarf stature and wonderful plumage makes this a certain hit with the owners of small gardens.
Other variegated grasses of note include the fabulous Calamagrostis Overdam. This new striking medium size clumper is one of the finest, yet virtually unknown variegated grass available. When used against a background of blue or green, the leaf variegation is accented even more. Another grass that has never caught on is the dwarf striped tuber oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius bulbosum Variegatum). Perhaps the ridiculously long name, keeps gardeners from growing this striking white edged grass, that looks great through the winter, and only goes dormant during the summer when other plants easily fill the void.
Carex is a similar group of plants that share the grasses affinity for variegation, but prefer to grow in part sun to light shade. The most widely sold sedge is Carex hachijoensis Evergold (or Old Gold). This striped weeping sedge is the perfect foil for a water feature with it's graceful foliage. Carex morrowi temnolepis is similar in stature, but with much finer texture, and an overall silvery cast.
For a border in the garden there is none better than Carex conica Marginata, a spectacular green edged white sedge. This carex would quickly replace clumping liriope if known in the commercial landscape trade. The true Carex morrowii, both the variety Variegata and Gilt Edge make spectacular clumps with age. Their upright rigid growth habit makes these clumps a distinctive contrast from other plants in the garden.
Perennials are of course the easiest of variegated plants to work with in the garden. Because of their size, they can easily be plugged into the landscape to provide the needed accent or touch of color. For a sunny garden, from zone 4 southward, there is nothing better than the variegated yuccas. Both Yucca smalliana Bright Edge (green with yellow edge) and Yucca filamentosa Golden Sword (green with gold center) are quite handsome in the sunny garden. My favorite, however is Yucca filamentosa Variegata. This medium size yucca has wide ivory white edges that makes for one of the most eye catching plants in the garden. This plus the towering bloom spikes of white are a most wonderful combination.
Other variegated sun perennials are not as prevalent. While the variegated physostegia and Phlox Nora Leigh are around, they are too weak growers to ever become mainstream garden plants.
One of my personal favorites are the sedums, primarily Sedum lineare Variegatum, a low growing needle leaf type with green leaves and a nice white edge. For something a little more bold, try Sedum alboroseum Medio variegatus. This bright gold sedum with a green edge is a great accent against darker colors such as blues.
Here in zone 7b, the cannas are a great perennial (annuals in the north). Canna Nirvana (syn. Minerva) is a beautiful white and green striped leaf with matching buttery yellow flowers. For something different, Canna x Generalis Aureo Striata offers the same foliage with brilliant orange atop the flower stalks. This striking canna is also sold as Canna Pretoria and will be introduced by Wayside as Canna Bengal Tiger.
In the shade, of course the leader is hostas. Other wonderful perennials are not far behind, including the likes of the ajugas, solomons seal, pulmonarias, ferns, and lamiums. My favorite of this group must be the variegated solomons seal (Polygonatum odoratum Variegatum). This perennial seemingly grows anywhere and at near the perfect growth rate...never too fast, never too slow. The arching stems of green foliage edged white is supplemented with tiny white flowers dangling from beneath. Variegated solomons seal seems to blend with anything, from dark blue hostas to almost any type of fern.
Lamiums are a wonderful ground cover for shady areas. Lamium Beacon Silver (silver center and purple flowers), Lamium White Nancy (silver center and purple flowers), and Lamium Pink Pewter (silver center and pink flowers), are perfect to lighten the woodland floor. The lamiums all will grow to nearly 12 inches tall and spread nearly four feet. Lamiums should not be planted around very tiny woodland plants which might get overrun.
In the fern family, one fern stands out as the variegated leader for most parts of the country. Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum Pictum) is a striking addition to the shade garden. Although it varies tremendously from spores, the characteristic purple, grey, and green variegation can be standardized by dividing the clumps. Another lesser known, but no less wonderful variegated fern is Athyrium otophorum. The variegation is similar, but this fern has a much more open and stately habit.
Hostas are indeed the variegated King and Queen of the shade garden. I always enjoy meeting folks that have grown both types of hostas, the green and the variegated one. Interestingly enough, variegation is a strong selling point in the hosta world. In the popularity poll of the American Hosta Society, eight of the top ten hostas are variegated.
The most common variegated hosta, Hosta undulata has probably been grown by everyone who has ever grown hostas. The popularity of Hosta undulata is due to its propensity for vigorous growth and its'tough as nails durability. Unfortunately for all its attributes, the poor leaf substance and horrendously ugly flowers make this cultivar among the worst choices for a garden.
This is certainly not to say that all of the older variegated cultivars are unworthy of being grown. Hosta Francee and Hosta Antioch are still among the finest of all variegated hostas. Francee has wide green leaves of deep green, surrounded by a thin white margin. Francee will eventually become quite large with a spread of four feet. Antioch is still one of the best and largest of all variegated hostas. Antioch emerges in the spring with an light green leaf with an edge of yellow. As the season progresses, the edge changes into a wonderful creamy white. One clump of Hosta Antioch with its five foot spread can transform a dark garden. Variegated hostas are available from the large Frances Williams, down to the small clumpers like H. Kabitan and H. Allen P. McConnell.
One of the best and newest variegated hostas is the strikingly beautiful Hosta Great Expectations. Hosta Great Expectations is one of the few white centered hostas that actually grows well, especially when planted in partial sun. Since the lack of chlorophyll in the main portion of the leaf allows less tissue to produce food, usually the white centered varieties are tougher to grow. By growing these varieties in more sun, the green portion of the leaf can often produce the extra food needed for the plant to survive. Hosta Great Expectations is a sport of Hosta sieboldiana that emerges with a yellow center, which gradually turns to creamy white.
One of the hosta species with an array of wonderful variegations is Hosta montana. Hosta montana Aureo Marginata, although it emerges early and is often burned back is always a popular favorite. The green centered leaves are edged in a vivid yellow band. Hosta montana Mountain Snow has the same green center and a nice white edge, and Hosta On Stage (prefering morning sun), gives a spectacular yellow center and green edge, sure to catch everyones eye.
One of the oldest variegated cultivars of hosta is Hosta Frances Williams. This large blue leaf H. sieboldiana has a wide yellow edge and is still quite popular. The tissue in the yellow edge of Hosta Frances Williams is less tolerant of adverse weather conditions than the center, and consequently often tends to burn. The hosta world is currently full of Hosta Frances Williams look alikes that reportedly have cured this problem.
Another attribute to the variegated hosta is fragrant blooms. There are several wonderful variegated fragrant hostas thanks to breeding efforts of the last decade. Hosta Sugar and Cream, Iron Gate Glamour, Summer Fragrance, and So Sweet are all worth growing. The best in the variegated hostas so far, however is Hosta Fragrant Bouquet. This lime green centered hosta has a wonderful white edge, topped by masses of very fragrant white flowers. Be sure to plant this hosta where it can be enjoyed often.
Variegated hostas work great when combined with green, blue, and gold hostas, or simply with other woodland plants such as ferns. In designing a woodland garden, it is very difficult to use several different variegated hostas in an area without some other type of plant dividing the garden space. Not only can the garden look jumbled, but the beauty of the individual leaf patterning is often lost without some type of backdrop.

Hellebores, Hellebores, Hellebores

by Tony Avent, Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.
There are few perennials that can rival the year round interest of hellebores...often called Christmas or Lenten Rose. These staples of the winter garden are among the most coveted of garden plants, yet they are still relatively unknown outside of plant enthusiast circles. Perhaps the fact that they aren't good mass market plants attributes to the fact that they will rarely be found at the lower end mass merchants.
Hellebores have long been grown in gardens, although originally for their medicinal properties. Hellebores are filled with alkaloid toxins and have long been used both as a poison and a purgative. Because of their toxicity, hellebores are consequently prized as "deer resistant" garden plants for areas with wildlife pressures.
Hellebores are primarily European natives, being found in open meadows in Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and even 1 species in China. We would like to salute UK plant explorer Will McLewin who risks his life every year to trek through these regions gathering hellebore seed and researching the genus with a rarely seen dedication. While naturally a full sun plant, hellebores make superb specimens for the woodland garden. In fact, they will thrive in the darkest garden conditions including at the base of black walnut trees.
Hellebores are often found native in alkaline soils, but adapt without a blink to our very acid woodland soils. As for fertility, all of our hellebores are fertilized with an organic slow release blend in the spring with everything else in the garden. For the lazy gardeners, however I have seen spectacular gardens of hellebores that have never seen a drop of fertilizer.
A true testimonial for the durability of hellebores are those growing at the old Raleigh garden of NC's famed garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence. Her Raleigh home, from which she moved in the 1940's is still filled with wonderful clumps of Helleborus orientalis hybrids. This is after being used as a fraternity house for nearly 50 years!
As for drought and neglect tolerance, that story speaks for itself. Hellebores are sensitive, however to too poor drainage and too much moisture. Although H. orientalis hybrids are very forgiving, many of the other species are not so, and will quickly bite the dust if planted in a soggy site.
Hellebores are divided into two basic groups, caulescent (with stems) and acaulescent (without stems). The caulescent species include H. argutifolius, H. foetidus, and H. lividus. The acaulescent species include H. orientalis, H. niger, H. purpurascens, H. viridis, H. atrorubens, and all others.
The most commonly known of the acaulescent species is Helleborus orientalis, the Lenten Rose. Actually what everyone grows in their gardens are not really H. orientalis, but hybrids involving H. orientalis. The true species is actually quite difficult to grow, while the vigor of the H. orientalis hybrids make them one of the easiest of garden plants.
Each H. orientalis hybrid makes a clump to 2' wide by 15" tall of thick evergreen hand shaped leaves. In late winter, the 12" tall flower spikes emerge from the underground rhizome. As the flower spike tops the leaves (which flatten out in the winter), it branches, producing a cluster of silver dollar size flowers. Actually, what we call the flower are not petals, but a modified calyx. This accounts for the seeming longevity (3 months) of the "hellebore flowers"
The flower colors of the Helleborus orientalis hybrids are what enthrall plant collectors, as each one is dramatically different. The basic color range is from black purple to red purple, to white, pink, and even yellow. The patterns on the blooms add even more to the fun, with breeders working to add different colored speckles both to the center and the edge of the flowers.
Now, hellebore breeders are also working on flower shape...some opting for cupped flowers, while others work toward large flat open flowers. Some breeders prefer up facing flowers, while others prefer the natural bell like form, where only the colors are seen on the back of the flowers.
Purchasing named varieties of hellebores has always been a difficult task for gardeners. Not only has most of the hellebore work been done overseas (the late Helen Ballard - Germany, Elizabeth Stragmann-England, and the late Eric Smith-England) When a breeder would develop a nice variety, everyone would want a piece. While hellebores can be divided, the process is never going to be viable on a large commercial basis. This prompted both high prices, and unscrupulous nurserymen to sell seedlings as the "true cultivar". In fact, each seedling is different, and rarely does the flower color of the seedling match that of it's parent.
Only in the past few years have some growers started to sell hellebores by flower color. This is done either by divisions, where all the plants are identical, or by growing and flowering a large batch of seedlings and then sorting them by color. Obviously, the time involved in this process (2-3 years from seed to flower), the price is often out of reach. For a slightly less price, you can buy unflowered seedlings, which thanks to careful inbreeding, should have a higher percentage of colors similar to their parents.
Another of my favorite species is the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger. While rumored to be impossible to grow in the south, the large clumps in both my garden and others throughout the south confirm this rumor to be unfounded. Indeed, H. niger is not as easy as the H. orientalis hybrids, but still easy enough for most gardeners. H. niger has darker green and much smoother leaves than the H. orientalis hybrids and begins flowering much earlier. For us, H. niger is usually in flower by late December or early January. The flowers in this species are pure white, and arise similar to the H. orientalis hybrids.
Of the other acaulescent species, H. purpurascens (purple flowers), H. atrorubens (very early purple flowers), and H. viridis (green flowers) are good easy to grow choices. Unlike H. niger and H. orientalis, these species are often deciduous, so don't panic when they disappear in the winter..
I am also a big fan of the caulescent (stemmed) species. My favorite is certainly H. foetidus, the so called "stinking hellebore". While folks often expect smelly flowers, the only part of the plant that is foetid are the leaves, which leave an unpleasant odor on your hands if you fondle your hellebores too much.
H. foetidus has very dark green leaves with long "fingers" These leaves clothe the 18-24" tall stems. As a background plant to hostas and ferns in the summer garden, H. foetidus is marvelous. Then as the perennials of summer go to sleep, the evergreen clumps of H. foetidus remain and become the focus of the winter garden. In early winter, the flowering stalks emerge, opening open around the first of the year with 1' tall spikes of green bell like flowers. These flowers remain attractive until early spring.
Thanks to gardeners in England, there are now many different forms of H. foetidus available. The most popular is H. foetidus 'Wester Flisk' with red stems and slatey green leaves. H. 'Green Giant' is much larger and can often reach 3' tall. H. foetidus 'Autumn Moon' is a form that we named from my friend John Elsley that consistently is in full flower in October. Other forms boast more cutleaf foliage, dark slatey black leaves, and a variety of other unique characteristics.
H. argutifolius is also a good garden plant. Making a 2' tall x 2' wide evergreen clump, it is adorned with very serrate trifoliate leaves. In late winter, it is topped with stalks of creamy light green flowers. The most tender of the caulescent species is also the most beautiful, H. lividus from Spain. The silver and green patterned leaves would make any gardener covet this gem. Although it has been hardy in our garden for 7 years, we are at the northernmost end of the range. For those a bit further north, try the hybrid H. sternii (H. argutifolius x H. lividus). This hybrid combines the beauty of H. lividus with the hardiness of H. argutifolius.
Hellebores are easy to propagate by seed. In fact, most folks just let the seed fall on the ground, and in a few years, you will have enough hellebores to spread through the neighborhood. I like the fact that the seedlings stay right around the base of the parent plant. This is particularly useful with H. foetidus which is often short lived (3-5 years), but by seeding in place, the plant will never leave your garden.
Hellebore seed are easy to sprout if they are planted fresh, but not if they are allowed to dry. When sowing the seed in pots, do so as soon as they are ripe, and keep the pots outdoors until Christmas, since the seed need a cold treatment to sprout. The seed pots can be brought indoors at this time and they will sprout immediately. If left outdoors, they will sprout in late winter.

Hostas for Warm Climates

Hostas are a genus of plants that seemingly everyone wants to grow... even those who don't live in a good climate for them to thrive. As a general rule, hostas prefer climates with cold winters and warm summers. For gardeners in southern climates of Zone 9-10, picking the right hosta can be a daunting task.
Most hostas must have a minimum winter dormancy requirement of 30 days at temperatures below 43 degrees F. In warmer southern regions, the hostas that perform their best are those that have lower than normal winter dormancy requirements. The required winter dormancy for a hosta is genetic and is based on the part of the world where the species involved in a particular hybrid originated (warm climate versus cold). The Hosta species which have evolved in the warmest climates and therefore have the lowest chill requirements include Hosta clausa, H. gracillima, H. kikutii, H. longipes, H. montana (southern forms), H. nakaiana, H. plantaginea, H. rupifraga, H. sieboldii, H. ventricosa, H. venusta, and H. yingeri. While all hostas will emerge the following spring after a low-chill winter, they are usually quite weak and proceed to deteriorate during the subsequent season.
The easiest way to determine the dormancy requirements is to observe which hostas emerge the earliest in spring. There is generally a 75 day emergence date spread between hosta cultivars in spring. Below is a list of those that emerge extremely early and would make good candidates for trialing in warm climates where there is little or no winter chilling.
Beside each cultivar name are the low-chill species (where known) from which they are derived.
Green Foliage
clausa (species)
'Crystal Chimes' (yingeri)
'Fall Bouquet' (longipes)
'Fourth of July' (kikutii)
'Hirao Splendor' (kikutii)
'Honeybells' (plantaginea)
'Invincible' (plantaginea)
'Jade Cascade' (montana)
laevigata (species)
'Old Faithful' (plantaginea)
'Otome No Ka' (unknown)
pachyscapa (species)
'Purple Lady Fingers' (clausa)
pycnophylla (species)
'Potomac Pride' (yingeri)
'Raspberry Sorbet' (rupifraga)
'Rippled Honey' (plantaginea)
'Savannah' (plantaginea, sieboldii)
'Stingray'(kikutii, montana)
'Sweet Bo Peep' (plantaginea)
takahashii 'Gosan' (species)
'Teaspoon' (venusta)
tibae (species)
'Tortifrons' (longipes)
tsushimensis (species)
venusta (species)
'Waving Wuffles' (ventricosa)
yingeri (species)
Variegated Foliage
'American Sweetheart' (unknown)
'Anne Arett' (sieboldii)
'Bob Olsen' (unknown)
'Carolina Sunshine' (tibae)
'Cathedral Windows' (plantaginea)
'Cherish' (venusta)
'Chickadee' (plantaginea)
'Crested Surf' (sieboldii)
'Diamond Tiara' (nakaiana)
'Diana Remembered' (plantaginea)
'Dixie Chick' (plantaginea)
'Ebb Tide' (montana)
'Emerald Tiara' (nakaiana)
'Emily Dickinson' (plantaginea)
'Fan Dance' (sieboldii)
'Fatal Attraction' (kikutii)
'Fragrant Bouquet' (plantaginea)
'Gala' (longipes)
'Golden Tiara' (nakaiana)
'Grand Prize' (nakaiana)
'Grand Tiara' (nakaiana)
'Guacamole' (plantaginea)
'Harpoon' (yingeri)
'Holy Mole' (plantaginea)
'Iron Gate Delight' (plantaginea)
kikutii 'Kifukurin' (kikutii)
'Kifukurin Ko Mame' (unknown)
'Korean Snow' (yingeri)
'Masquerade' (gracillima)
'Ming Treasure' (plantaginea)
'Mistress Mabel' (plantaginea)
'Miss Saigon' (plantaginea)
montana 'Aureomarginata' (montana)
'Peedee Gold Flash' (sieboldii)
'Platinum Tiara' (nakaiana)
'Red Hot Flash' (sieboldii)
'Sea Thunder' (unknown)
'Scooter' (sieboldii)
'Sea Thunder' (unknown)
'So Sweet' (plantaginea)
'Stained Glass' (plantaginea)
'Stiletto' (sieboldii)
'Sugar and Cream' (plantaginea, sieboldii)
'Summer Fragrance' (plantaginea, sieboldii)
'Sweetie' (plantaginea)
'Teeny Weeny Bikini' (unknown)
'Verna Jean' (sieboldii)
'Warwick Edge' (nakaiana)
'Waving Winds' (sieboldii)
'White Necklace' (unknown)
Gold Foliage
'Birchwood Parky's Gold' (nakaiana)
'Chartreuse Wiggles' (sieboldii)
'Fried Bananas' (plantaginea)
'Gold Scepter' (nakaiana)
longipes 'Golden Dwarf' (species)
'Sweet Tater Pie' (yingeri, nakaiana)
Blue Foliage
'Baby Bunting' (venusta)
'Blue Belle' (longipes)
'Blue Blush' (longipes)
'Silver Bowl' (unknown)

Organi-size Your Garden

by Tony AventWritten for The News and Observer, Raleigh NC March 26, 1994
Have you ever wondered why those plants that you gave up for dead, and threw on the compost pile, magically come back to life and grow to monstrous proportions...thriving without any fertilizer or care? Why is it that the grass, that refuses to stay alive and healthy in the lawn, but upon moving into the mulched flower beds, it grows like never before? Why ask why?
The catch word is organics. For every organic gardener, there is a different definition about what is organic. Before you get your back up, let me say that I am far from being a granola crunching, Silent Spring toting, environmentalist whacko (borrowed the term). As one who started out as an advocate of using chemicals as needed, my views have certainly changed with introspective experience and an increase of knowledge.
Let's use as our definition of organics, the process by which everything that lives must die, and return its elements to the soil to produce future generations. In organic gardening, everything is in balance, allowing the sub-microscopic elements of our soil to perform their tasks of keeping the soil healthy.
By using a good organic system of gardening, plants remain healthy and free from stress. Just as people reduce stress in their lives, through exercise, diet, and a myriad of other late night advertised cures, plants must do the same. We realize that stress causes us to be more susceptible to diseases and other ills, the same is true for plants.
In many ways, organic gardening had gone the way of alternative medicines, being shunned by government researchers who in many cases simply are not gardeners, but chemists. Understanding a chemical reaction in a lab often doesn't take into account the complex soil system and its interaction with the plant. What's more, field tests are usually performed over a short period, during which chemical fertilizers can equal any organics. Where the comparisons fail is in the long term.
By now, I have probably lost those of you who fail to see the need to plan for the future (since you might not be here tomorrow), and still insist on living only for today. Organic gardening is sort of like eating. You will have lots of energy by relying on a diet of cheeseburgers, fries, and ice cream for desert...wonderfully satisfying in the short term, but you pay for it in the future.
Does one fast food meal hurt you in the long run...of course not, but a steady diet does. It's not that the fast food doesn't have plenty of nutrition, it's just that some of it is in forms that just don't do a body good...sort of like lifeless fertilizers.
Some left wing organic gardeners accuse bureaucrats of a conspiracy with fertilizer companies, such is nonsense. In reality, the chemical and fertilizers companies do fund research designed to test certain aspects of their products. For the most part, organic fertilizer companies have not spent the money on such testing, and don't have stacks of slick publications at every garden center.
Finally, with less organic materials being allowed in landfills, researchers are beginning to look at uses for organic products. As with all recycling, ideas are no different, as we return to some of the common sense ideas of past generations, before the advent of chemical fertilizers.
As always, growing a good plant begins in the soil. Our soil is much more complex than the sticky red clay that most of us see when we go outside to garden. All too often, gardeners look at the clay, decide that it will never grow anything, then dump handfuls of 8-8-8 fertilizer on top to "make things grow."
We have become content to use the "Baby Ruth Bar" for energy mentality by creating an artificial diet for plants, which is neither beneficial for the plants or the soil in the long run. As anyone knows, 8-8-8 when used properly can make almost anything grow...at least for a short time.
The first concept that we as gardeners need to change, is to learn to fertilize or feed the soil, not the plants. If the soil is well balanced with organic matter and microbes, the plants can acquire nutrients on their own schedule. You are probably wondering if all of the chemical fertilizers are bad, and the answer is no. By the same token, all organic fertilizers are not good...everything must be in balance.
Sewage sludge is organic, but must be used with caution. Depending on the source, the material may have very high levels of heavy metals that can render a soil useless for growing anything, except maybe kudzu and crabgrass. By the same token, a slow release fertilizer, low in salts may not damage the microbes in the soil, while providing essential elements for plant growth.
A good demonstration of the importance of microbes in the soil is in a lawn. Have you ever noticed that during the winter, even a cool season lawn is off color. Then, as the soil warms up, even without fertilizer, the lawn magically turns green. How could this happen without fertilizer? What you are witnessing is soil microbes at work. Microbes are tiny microscopic organisms in the soil...sort of like the government workers of the soil. Each microbes has duties to perform as part of an entire community system.
As the microbes wake up from a winter sleep and become active, they begin processing the nutrients in the soil into forms that are usable by plants. In the book Microbe Power by Brian Forbes, a lab has collected 13,000 different soil organisms with the ability to break down molecules to release energy!
We have talked about these microbes, but what makes microbes work? There are three fuels that make microbes run, ammonia nitrogen, amino acids, and organic matter (complex nitrogen). All of these fuels are derived from decomposing organic material in the soil. In short, the more organic matter in a nutritionally balanced soil, the more productive the soil.
When high salt chemical fertilizers are applied, the grass may turn green, but the microbes are often killed. A more visible experiment can be performed by placing earthworms in a pan, then applying your fertilizer of choice. Do the earthworms crawl thru the fertilizer, away from the fertilizer, or simply die? The effect from the chemical fertilizers are temporary at best, while the effect from properly fed microbes is permanent.
For years, we have all heard that Nitrogen is Nitrogen, despite its source...true or false. If this is true, and since our atmosphere is mostly Nitrogen, plants should never need fertilizer. Of course, we know that this is not the case.
Nitrogen, before it can be used by plants must be converted by the soil microbes to either a usable form of Ammonium or Nitrate. In addition, Phosphorous must be converted to Phosphate, sulfur to sulfate, chlorine to chloride, and the list goes on.
A well managed soil should contain 5 percent organic matter. With adequate organic matter, the soil becomes alive. An organic soil is able to hold and process nutrients as well a hold water during drought. A soil with 5% organic matter can hold almost 200 pounds of water in every 100 pounds of dry soil. A similar soil with only 1% organic matter can hold only 30 pounds of water in the same soil.
Now, before you go getting all excited, let me tell you that to get a 5% organic soil, you will need 50 tons of organic matter per acre! I mentioned that this is a long term proposition. Organic matter can be added to the soil in one of three ways, through incorporation prior to planting, through the use of organic fertilizers, and through the use of an organic mulch.
One of my favorite ways to add organic matter to the soil is to incorporate the organic matter during the preparation of the bed. Good materials which are available locally include decaying leaves, old composted sawdust, ground pine bark, compost. Ideally these materials should be incorporated into the top 6-8 inches of the soil.
If you are planting in individual holes, this method is completely useless, since the roots are hopefully not going to remain in the holes for a very long period. With this method of planting, or in established plantings, you must resort to one of the other two methods of introducing organic into the soil.
Mulching is of great benefit, although in the south, organic mulches seem to break down fast. As the mulches break down, they produce humic acid. The humic acid is the materials that works hand in hand with the soil microbes to break down the nitrogen sources so that they are in a form usable by the plants.
Having tried a lot of different mulches, I find shredded hardwood bark to be my favorite. Not only does this type of mulch last longer (which prevents weeds), but I can watch the humus changing the color of the soil underneath. Almost all organic mulches are good, so don't be shy.
The third method of adding organics to the soil is through fertilizer. This is the most underused means, and probably the most needed, since we are so often dealing with established plantings and lawn areas.
One of the biggest problems in growing lawns, is the lack of any addition of organic matter to the soil, hence the need for large quantities of commercial fertilizers. Finally, it has become politically correct to let clippings fall back into the lawn...that one took a while!
The lawn clippings by themselves are of no benefit without microbes to help them decompose. If we are killing the microbes with high salt commercial fertilizers, what have we accomplished. Through the use of organic fertilizers, we need to correct the nutritional balance of the soil. It is at this point that the microbes begin to work for the soil.
Most turf diseases in home lawns can be easily avoided without the use of chemicals. First the maintenance of the lawn must be performed properly...cut the right height, etc. By having the soil microbes at work, and the nutrients in balance, the lawn grasses are no longer under stress. As we have talked about stress earlier, the less stress...the less diseases !
Being a good organic gardener has been tough, due to the lack of mainstream information. In that vein, I want to recommend a book for everyone that deals with soils and soil chemistry in an easily understandable format. The book is An Acres USA Primer by Walters and Fenzau, ISBN 0-911311-37-8 by Acres USA Press.
At this time, organic fertilizers are sort of a catch-22 proposition. There are a number of organic fertilizer lines on the market, but very little good information to go with them. We have worked closely with Fertrell, a Pennsylvania company that actually manufactures many of the products on the market under a variety of trade names.
What makes a good organic fertilizer. It's not simply putting some cow and chicken manure together in a bag. Just as chemical fertilizers are mixed with a little of this, and a little of that, the same process is followed in the manufacture of organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers, as a general rule, are not something that is dug out of the ground and sold.
The use of organics fertilizers without knowing the desired result, is of little more benefit than using chemical fertilizers. The information demand from consumers must increase, before the information will become available. Organic fertilizers must be used in conjunction with information from your soil tests, which unfortunately are also lacking in much necessary information.
As I have warned many times, beware of the magnesium and calcium levels in the soil, for it is their balance (5:1 calcium to magnesium ratio) that controls the availability of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium to the plants. Unfortunately lime recommendations are made without regard to whether these readings indicate a need for calcitic (without magnesium) or dolomitic lime (with magnesium).
Finally, there are a few good organic landscape companies in the area, so check the yellow pages. To me, organic landscaping does not mean, simply not spraying chemicals, for this in and of itself will not work. The reduction in chemical usage, MUST be accompanied by a program of stress reduction through soil nutritional balance, increase the use of organic matter, and good maintenance techniques.

Plant Delights Nursery Hosta Breeding Program

A Question and Answer Session with Tony Avent and Clyde Crockett, EditorAs Printed in the Journal of the American Hosta SocietyVolume 27 #1 1996
Clyde - Q's Tony - A's
Q1- How and when did you become interested in the genus hosta?
A1- Actually, I was not a quick learner in school....hosta was the plant genus that I could spell correctly...the rest is history. Also, when I was young, a lot of visits to Jim Cooper's garden didn't hurt.
Q2- When and why did you become interested in hybridizing?
A2- Hybridizing has always been an interest of mine. Girls weren't real interested in me, so I watched a lot of group plant sex flicks as a kid when the folks were out of town...plant bondage, antherial sex, S&M, Q&Z...the whole sordid world. I thought Behind the Green Door was about hosta breeding...boy, was I surprised!
Q3- What training, education, etc. either formal or informal have you had in horticulture/botany/hybridizing?
A3- Does walking around in the woods for most of my life count? I'm not like those movies of the guys that were raised by apes, but my wife swears I've got green blood. I've also got a paper here...says I got a lot of Horticultural BS from NCSU. I always say, if you can't baffle 'em with brilliance, befuddle 'em with BS...so I guess that's good.
My best training in hybridizing hostas came from the bearded guru of Chapel Hill, Bob Solberg back in 1982. I guess Bob is like ole Sampson...if he cut that beard, he'd become really dumb! I also read and reread a lot of the old hosta journals featuring Dr. Kevin Vaughn's articles....didn't understand many, but those scientist types sure have a way with words.
Q4 Please indicate in detail what your goals are in your hybridizing program.
A4- My goal is to do really weird stuff to hostas...sexual harassment...you know!
Along the way we also try to create hostas with:
1- fragrant flowers 2- good leaf substance 3- plants that grow well in heat and are sun tolerant 4- vigorous plants that grow fast and multiply quickly 5- red leaves 6- improved attractiveness of flower shape using H. yingeri 7- attractive distinctive leaf patterns, i.e. H. White Wall Tire 8- dwarf vigorous deep blue hostas 9- stoloniferous blue and gold hostas 10- large fragrant blue hostas 11- fragrant gold hostas that are actually fragrant and actually gold 12- more hostas with nice white flowers 13- late flowering hostas 14- incorporation of as many species as possible into breeding lines 15- heavily rippled foliage on very large and very small plants 16- better names
Q5- Which pollen parents do you use to accomplish your goals?
A5- I use many different pollen parents. In 1994 for example, I used over 50 different pollen parents including H. Fall Bouquet (red petioles), H. Halcyon (blue foliage), H. Hirao Tet (dwarfs), H. plantaginea (fragrance), H. Big Daddy (corrugated blue foliage), H. Sparkling Burgundy (shape and red petioles), H. Maekawa (large white backed leaves), H. venusta (dwarfs), H. yingeri (good flowers), H. ventricosa (good flowers), H. Invincible (fragrance, substance), H. Potomac Pride (flowers, vigor), H. Abba Dabba Do (shape), H. Elvis Lives (long leaf shape), and H. montana macrophylla (size).
I am also now doing a tremendous amount of self crossing using our own breeding lines. An example of the parentage of a cross 95-164, is 90-149 x 92-85. To further break this down into how this came to be, we find that the following occurred:
H. 90-149 (H.89-2 ((Beatrice x OP)) x Blue Umbrellas ((H.Tokudama x H. sieboldiana Elegans)) x 92-85 ((90-34 ((Christmas Tree Gala ((H. Frances Williams x H. Beatrice)) x H. sieboldiana)) x Elephant Burgers (H. Fortunei x Op)...can you spell confused!
The result is a nice large streaked plant which will be further evaluated when the variegation settles out into an edge or a center (which ALL streaked plants will eventually do).
Q6- Which pod parents do you use?
A6- Since we do a lot of breeding for variegated plants, we use a lot of streaky parents...unstable parents create the most unique offspring...true of people too! Our first 5-10 years was spent creating our own breeding lines. Too many folks use the breeding lines of others, and consequently their offspring are too similar to those of other breeders. Just like isolated pockets of mountain folk...they wear the good genes out real fast!
We have about 100 different streaky pod parents that we use...each with different parentage, blooming times, size, etc.
Other pod parents for breeding lines might simply be a plant of mixed species...i.e. a parent with H. ventricosa, H. yingeri, and H. kikutii all mixed together. Don't believe everything you hear or read about plants. Some of most interesting crosses have been from things that are "impossible".
Our new H. White Wall Tires, came from the supposedly sterile H. Undulata. H. Waving Wuffles, and some of our crosses under evaluation were created using H. ventricosa as a pod parent (in theory, not possible due to apomixis. We have found that H. yingeri as a pollen parent seems to overcome the apomixis. Hell, my hostas can't even spell apomixis...why would anyone want to participate in sex without sex...boring!
Much of our work from now on will be focused on back crossing our own breeding stock. Many times, some of the desirable traits that you would like for a hosta to possess are recessive. By selfing the hosta, or crossing it back to one of it's parents (I know this sounds illegal), the desirable trait is expressed. For example, a recent cross of H. venusta x H. plantaginea yielded some fragrant offspring, most with small flowers. Perhaps by self pollinating these seedlings, I will get a wider range of the possible gene combinations, including possibly a dwarf plant with large fragrant flowers.
Doing this so-called line breeding is time consuming and not as exciting to most breeders. This, however is where many of the wonderful hybrids are due to arise.
Q7- Under what conditions do you do your crosses, if you do collect pollen, how do you preserve it, and how do you prevent open pollination.
A7- Almost all of our crosses are made in an air conditioned greenhouse. Each of the plants that we use for breeding are grown in containers. Every few days, I select the plants that I will use for the weeks breeding. These are then kept in a greenhouse, which secludes them from any horny insects. This way we don't have to emasculate (plant neutering) the flowers.
The plants remain secluded until the seed are set. Tags with each cross recorded are tied on each stalk below the flower pollinated. If there are extra flowers on the stalks that are not to be used, they are removed. Each cross is repeated on 5-15 different flowers on the same stalk to ensure a representative selection of the seedlings from the cross.
Some pollen is ready earlier in the day than others...fragrant pollen is generally ready later in the day, while pollen from H. sieboldiana types is ready very early. By doing crosses between 10 and 11 am, both types are usually viable during a short overlap.
Prior to having a greenhouse, I loaded the plants in the back of my pickup (w/camper shell). These hostas were taken with me to work, where they were pollinated either in the truck, or in a nearby greenhouse during lunch hour.
When it is necessary to make crosses in the garden, the bloom stalks are covered the day before with our hosta condoms. These are made in various sizes to fit each bloom stalk...some hostas are better endowed than others. Hosta condoms are made from a shear netting that can be found at the fabric stores. The netting is sowed in the shape of a tube sock...you get the picture.
I do not save pollen. Instead if I want to cross with an early blooming variety, I will cut off the bloom stalks on the early variety as they appear...before the blooms open. I have found that this will cause the plant to continue to try to flower. I continue cutting off the flower stalks until the other parent is ready for crossing.
Q8- How do you treat an interesting mutation? Do you remove the sport or leave it on the mother plant, etc.
A8- I remove the mutation as soon as possible, and grow it in a pot until it is large enough to divide. Then I plant one in the ground and leave one in a pot. If it turns out to be worthy of introducing, I don't have to go chopping up my clump to have divisions to sell.
Q9- What do you think is possible and impossible in creating new cultivars...stable streaked hostas? How much can flowers be improved in size and color? Your thoughts on red leaved hostas, a truly slug resistant hosta?
A9- I think all of the goals that I stated earlier are within our reach...our potential is only limited to the genetics of the hosta plants. If genetic engineering becomes more affordable, then our potentials become virtually unlimited...we could put a firefly gene in a hosta plant for a glow in the dark hosta...this has actually been done with tobacco...I'm not kidding!
As for stable streaked hostas as we now know them, they will never exist. As soon as the supposedly stable streaked varieties are chopped and moved around, they will begin to stabilize.
There will be more hostas like the stable H. Spilt Milk, and H. Northern Mist that are possible. Our H. Out House Delight is a breakthrough plant in that regard. Although it is ugly, the genes have made it a remarkable breeding plant. It's offspring, H. White Wall Tire has a new type of streakiness...perhaps we should call it frosting, that has not been seen in hostas before.
We are rapidly working on flowers, but these will always take a back seat to foliage...what a shame!
Regarding red leaves, I think we are not going to reach our goal going up the petioles. We have had a few yingeri crosses with early season red in the top of the leaves. Perhaps crossing the best of both ends.. will give us the red leaves that we search for.
I think slug resistance is related to substance, but to truly have a slug resistant hosta, I thing genetic engineering will have to play a role.
Q10- List the hostas that you have introduced and indicate why you did so...their merits, how you envision their use in the garden, their needs, etc.
A10- Okay, here goes:
H. Abba Dabba Do - a great gold margined sport of H. Sun Power...very sun tolerant...makes a grand old clump
H. Andy Taylor - outstanding dark green matte finish hosta with wonderful pure white flowers...A August Moon x H. Tardiflora cross...will never knock your socks off, but truly wonderful!
H. Barney Fife - brother to above...nearly pink flowers
H. Bubba - fascinating op H. Sum and Substance seedling...very glossy leaves...bright red neck...unique. Only drawback is sterility...probably due to abundance of steroids as a child!
H. Elephant Burgers - op seedling of unknown parent from a hosta that I found in an old garden...uniquely corrugated foliage...introduced as a breeder only...makes great offspring when used as a pollen parent to put leaf corrugation in fast growing smaller hostas
H. Elvis Lives - first plant that I have seen to put blue color into a leaf like H. Green Fountain. Some of our newer hybrids with this are truly stunning...creamy edges...WOW!
H. Fourth of July - This is a JC Taylor hybrid that he was discarding. A kikutii like leaf, but nice tall flower scapes in late season...very different...used in breeding
H. Little Black Scape - unique seedling from H. Sum and Substance. Leaves emerge green, but change to gold about the time that the nearly jet black scape emerges...very dramatic...not released yet...hopefully soon
H. Out House Delight - a breakthrough plant...white speckled leaves, stoloniferous habit...simply the ugliest hosta ever hybridized, but the best parent...keep you eyes peeled for some real knockouts.
H. Patrician - an Ed Skrocki release, vigorous grower with nice yellow edged leaves...great late season floral display
H. Potomac Pride - unique hybrid of H. yingeri x H. Blue Umbrellas...a larger plant with spider like flowers...future parent to many spectacular introductions
H. Red Neck Heaven - underrated, but awesome plant. This is a selection from seed from Japan of H. kikutii caput-avis. The dark petioles and white backed leaves are awesome...great form!
H. Sweet Tater Pie - H. Gold Scepter x H. yingeri - a totally new look in hostas...the leaves look waxy gold, rippled with different colors in each ripple...wonderful yingeri like flowers
H. Waving Wuffles - seedling of H. ventricosa with much narrower leaves and incredible ruffling...the clump gets much better with age!
H. White Wall Tires - the most talked about hosta in our garden...seedling of H. Out House Delight...makes a large H. Fortunei like clump of white frosted leaves...very vigorous...coming soon to a catalog near you.
Q11- Any surprises from your program?
A11- Obviously the H. Out House Delight is our biggest breakthrough, followed by H. Elvis Lives. I am real excited about a coming introduction, H. Old Yeller, a cross with H. yingeri and H. Sun Power...pretty incredible...brilliant unique golden color, ruffled leaves, yingeri like flowers....takes full sun...Oh, Baby!
I've got three wonderful seedling of H. Sun Power x H. plantaginea...all have the shape of a H. Sun Power clump, and very fragrant flowers. Unfortunately, all are green, and I haven't been able to get them to self pollinate yet...still trying!
Almost forgot...did some crosses of H. Maekawa x White Shoulders (actually it was no shoulders, but hey). These plants have the shape and white backs of H. Maekawa with wonderful fragrant flowers...need to work to get the flower scapes a little more upright however!
Q12- Of your introductions, which one is your favorite to date and why?
A12- Bad question....ask a parent which child is their favorite...good luck getting an answer to that one!
Q13- Please indicate one or more of your hybrids that have not been introduced but probably will be (with parentage).
A13- As mentioned, H. Old Yeller is coming soon. Also, H. Big Bloomers, a vigorous large growing hybrid (H. Blue Umbrellas x H. plantaginea). Finally managed to get a H. tibae hybrid with a nice creamy edged and branched scapes...still years away.
Q14- Do you collaborate with anyone, either as a co-hybridizer or advisor.
A14- Not really, breeders all talk, but it would be terrible if we were all going in the same direction.
Q15- What are your long range plans?
A15- Does a European vacation count? I am going to focus more on line breeding now that we have got large numbers of lines to breed. Our breeding has followed this pattern:
Numbers of DIFFERENT crosses each year:
1997 0 1996 628 1995 0 - too many plants from the year before! 1994 750 1993 82 1992 130 1991 126 1990 117 1989 242 1988 4...mostly open pollinated seedlings 1987 and before- pre computer period...no adequate records
Since we have made many wide crosses (between non related species), we have had a low rate of crosses that set seed...usually around 50%.
As you can see, our breeding program has just begun. You are only seeing the very beginnings of our introduction program. Under accelerated lights and greenhouse growing of seedlings, we are able to flower a seedling in a gallon pot in 6-9 months. We then like to grow these plants in the ground for an additional 5 years before making a determination on their value for introduction.