A few years ago I accidentally on purpose :) bought multiples of some Hostas. Some I adore some I did not Ok I adored all but one. The one I really disliked I gave away. So then I tried to figure out what to do. Since my tiny garden had sections of sun by the hour and it was a brandy new one at that I decided to do an experiment(one I am sure many do) I decided to put each of the same Hosta in different amounts of sun/shade

BTW all plants started out as one eyes approximately the same size.

3 Loyalists one each in

2 hrs

4 hrs

5 hrs

4 Junes

2 hrs

3 hrs

4 hrs

5 hrs

2 Blue Ivorys ( no real different except # of eyes)

3 hrs

4 hrs

2 Old Glorys (I am going to try to move one in more sun to get a more different result although one did burn a little this year not sure if it was because the tree that shades it leafed out late this yr)

1 hr

2 hrs

2 On Stage

2 maybe 3 hrs

4 hrs

Because this has been a neat thing for me I am also going to do this with 3 Whirlwinds this year. I wish I could do it with other multiples I have but they are different sizes and ages. It is amazing how different some hostas act towards just one hr more or less of sunlight.

The one that has really been the most different is Loyalist the pics don't show the color overly well but the one in the least amount of sun is lighter and the other two get progressively darker.

2 hrs

With June it was the color mostly that changed I have pics but I will have to wait until a better day to really get their color to come through on the camera. One thing that bewilders me though is out of all 4 Junes there was only one that did not increase. The part that makes me scratch my head is it was not the one that had the least amount of sun it was right smack in the middle 3 hrs of sun. They all were watered at the same time and this even came from the same place as two of the other Junes I think even the same plant. I have to move it this year to another spot but it will get the same amount of sun hopefully this will not change everything.

I know that 2 plants to compare don't give you real good data but for me it's just fun and interesting(and I really don't have the room for these multiples never mind more of the same:)