I toasted a beautiful Lakeside Dragonfly last summer. I planted it in too much sun, and although I gave it plenty of water, the leaves burned to a crisp and the plant appeared to die. I dug it up, put it in a pot and buried the pot for winter. Maybe it will surprise me next spring, but I doubt it. We'll see.

Oh my good Lord. They say that confession is good for the soul but if I did that, I might have a heart attack. I know I killed a Blue Girl, Great Expectations and a Frances William a few years ago when I dug up a bed, set them aside and forgot to replant them. If I thought of all the plants I've killed or shovel pruned or died because I was "pushing the zone" in my 40 years of gardening, I could have retired 10 years ago with the money saved! But, isn't that what it's all about?

I'll agree on the Fair Maiden...I think 2 have gone poof on us too...not an easy hosta to grow and the one we have now isn't anything real beautiful...seems like this one gets ragged edges really easy here...I know there are MANY more but can't think of them off the top of my head...it's all part of gardening...you want it to grow but sometimes it's just not a strong hosta...On Stage is a very slow grower here...perhaps it prefers warmer temps? Bevie

Ummm, lemme see. I got too much granular 12-12-12 on a crown 2 years ago. It's still alive, but barely.

I've divided and potted too late in the season in too heavy dirt and lost 'em to crown rot.

Once, while on 'strong' antibiotics, I pee'd on a shrub and it DIED, forthwith (beware!)

OK, that was perhaps too much information, but meant in a friendly fashion. If you or one of your pets is on a strong antibiotic, ban all of you from the garden . . .

hh

I couldn't keep my Cascades alive,I lost 1 Loyalist,and Crusader just disappeared one year and never came back up.(I think voles got it!) Phil

Lets see,
I lost a Galaxy once because I am a pushover and divided it when it was too wet. My crown died the beggers division is thriving (of course)..Stomped a Cherry berry into oblivion while running from Yellowjackets...Cut a tree that landed directly on top of a 5 year old G.E. and it never has returned. Lost a whole order once when the UPS guy sat the box on the only sunny spot in our whole ten acres for three days in July while we were gone..Sprayed a whole tray of streaked seedlings with Windex because DW switched it with my bottle of Miracle Grow. Lost two trays of Streaked seedlings when the wind blew the stop out of the greenhouse door and it got hot enough in there to actually melt the trays. Oh yeah, and last but not least, while taking Some Hostas to a garden club plant sale I left a tray of 18/ 4" pots of Paul's Glory on top of my car and forgot them. People were honking and waving at me as I headed down the highway but I thought that they were just being friendly. We never did find them ,not even a remain of one. So yes swmo, I can feel your pain...

Denny

Too funny, Denny!(or not)

Most hated hosta = Cascades. First year, slugs got it in a pot. It was in tatters. Second year I elevated it into a flower cart. Some flying insect found it, and left small bits hanging from the veins. They fluttered in the breeze. It attracted whatever bug that was to my coleus pots, and they met the same fate. Third year, I decided to ignore it after it started to look cruddy. RIP
Have had Tattoo and Cameo in the ground since 2005. I need a magnifying glass to find them each year. With luck, they won't come back this year.

a Couple off the top of my head...didn't make it...

killed Remember Me...3 xs...won't try it again...

and Thunderbolt 2x...won't try that one again either...

On Stage is a "mini" here...i don't really expect to see it in spring...

and my Great Expectations was growing nicely...UNTIL,,,,all you people here said it was a difficult hosta...one spring it just decided not to show up...OH WELL...

jill...

I'm fairly new to hostas, and so far haven't killed any. Spring shall prove me otherwise on a few I bought last year that weren't doing well as to whether they'll return or not, one being Fair Maiden.

Karen

I have found H.'Fair Maiden' to be a morning sun only Hosta here in central Illinois. I have moved my mature clump 3 times and it has finally done well in this location. Any afternoon sun seems to burn the edges and make them crisp.It also seems to like a lot of water. I will take a picture this spring and post it on here showing the location that I have had the best luck with. I think that it is just too pretty to be crossed off of any list.

Denny

LOL I do not know if I killed any hostas, did not keep records, simply planted and enjoyed them. Until last year I had 31 different ones for 20 or so years, some names seemed familiar but I could not find any plants. Then I have hostas I do not know the names of.

Last year I bought 59 more different hostas, this time cataloged them in a spreadsheet, put labels on them where planted, and now have a list I can compare against when they hopefully come up. Another month until all the snow has disappeared, then another 3 weeks to see leaves. Last week we got another 2 ft of wet snow, then rain which helped.

I will not admit to killing any, lol, they died a natural death--Brim Cup, Fire and Ice, Sea Thunder, three troublemakers which I won't replace.

I remembered some more of my dearly departed.
R.I.P. Crape suzette, little sunspot, blue wedgewood, little aurora, fireworks, pizzazz, aristocrat, fire and ice, and cascades. I kind of wish I hadn't started this thread. Thankfully I have a couple hundred I haven't killed.

My new Cherry Berry died soon after planting it a few years ago, don't know why still.
Lets see, I planted about 7 new hostas and proceeded to smother them in fall oak leaves, killing them slowly. That was when I was a newbie and didn't know any better, and thought that more and more leaves meant more protection lol.
Other then that I think that's about it. This area I live in a prime hosta growing area with not too many problems except slugs.

I've had a few die for reasons I cannot pinpoint - Niagara Falls was one. Little Sunspot died when I moved it to save it from the arborist's feet. Should have potted it but thought one move would be better. AND THEN THERE ARE THE RABBITS!!!! Last year I got a small Praying Hands with 5 leaves, and was tending it carefully... only to find 5 little stems one day and an escaping rabbit!!! Several others were much reduced, but they survived. I'm going to try Plantskydd this year - has anyone had luck with it? We have bunnies, and groundhogs that find my hosta pantry a tasty snack bar.

Sorry, I'm NOT P.C., rabbits, lead poisoning. No quarter, period.

hh

Whats up with all the hosta killing? I thought they are difficult to kill?

whaas,
You will learn the Hosta motto...The more expensive they are the easier they are to kill!

Denny

Hmm, off the top of my head, GE, Cameo, Cat's Eyes, Little Sunspot, Love Pat. I thought I had done in Yellow River one year but it showed up in late June sadly reduced. It has this spring to look "much improved" or it's next home will be the compost pile.

It will thrive on the compost pile.

Having lost many due to crown rot and drought stress, the list is too long to count.

One which may be the hardiest is Honeybells. I recall trying to kill it and failing - it weathered dogs, kids, pee, fertilizer, herbicide and lawn mowers, to no avail.

Oh well.

Reminds me of the lady who heard we grew hosta and called to come over. She had tried to kill a long border of Undulata Albo Marginata along her drive way (she had recently bought the house and didn't like flowers) by cutting all the leaves off in June, July and August with the lawn mower.

Little did she know it made them grow back with even more leaves. When I told her you can't kill them, she replied: is it invasive?

Yes, I replied, keep your dogs and kids away from them.

Tongue in cheek but true!

Bruce