Just walked out for a survey. The ones that seem unfazed by the heat (yes, it's been hot even here in central WI) are:

Krossa Regal
Bix Blues
Second Wind
Fragrant Bouqet
Earth Angel
Lancifolia (where the rabbits haven't found it yet!)
Halcyon
El Nino
Royal Standard
2nd year TC plantaginea planted where it gets lots of sun almost all day
Stained Glass
Cathedral Windows
Holy Mole
Guacamole

and, albomarginata, of course.

Really, only Summer Fragrance (other than a NOID variegated undulata) has any crispies & only where it takes a lot of midday-afternoon sun and doesn't get watered quite enough.

Of the lot, the young Earth Angels (1 gal. purchases last summer) have grown the best. I'm still trying to figure out how I ended up buying EA three times last year. I thought only twice but found a third one. Musta' been on clearance or I divided one of them when I planted it. EA is a nice hosta; I like it a lot, but do I really need three of them when I'm fretting about where to site all the monster hostas that are on the Wish List!?

New England hasn't had it as bad as some areas in terms of heat and drought, but we haven't had any rain to speak of this month. Still there have been a number of great performers including Blue Hawaii, Satisfaction, Rascal, Blue Angel and Blue Mammoth. But the star has to be this Sum and Substance which was moved this Spring and ended up in all day sun. All day with a lot of hand watering, and it has been spectacular.

Steve

There are several that seem to be unfazed by the drought.
Olive Bailey Langdon
T Rex
Praying Hands
Paul's Glory
Guacamole
Big Daddy
Flemish Gold
Neptune
Gypsy Rose
Kiwi Full Monty
Montana Aureomarginata
Paradigm
Sweet Home Chicago

But then those always look good.

Best in terms of growing well and increasing in size, from an itty bitty one-eye three leafed baby, I would have to say I'm impressed most with Goodness Gracious. If it keeps growing the way it has this year, next year it should be spectacular!

Sandy

To name a few that stll look great.

This is the third year for Kiwi Full Monty, also for Funky Monkey next to it.

None are growing incredibly fast, but Dream Queen, Great Expectations and Stained Glass are probably the stand outs for younger plants, along with my First Frost sport.

It has to be Sagae. This plant,along with Lakeside Shoremaster,across the path from it,still look good. The fact that it's in a woodland garden with plenty of tree cover doesn't hurt,either! Phil

{{gwi:1028272}}

My Sun Power Sport made a nice jump.

Paul

Planted last Fall, Striptease continues to please.

Jon

paul_in_mn,

somehow, yor pic of SP doesn't look like the ones we have, have seen, or shown on HL.

hmmmmm,

hh

hmmmmmmmmm, maybe because I listed it as my Sun Power SPORT.

Paul

Ci_Lantro, I see you are fond of the fragrant ones too. So am I.

Doing the best for me.....hard to say. I go out and look every morning and something different strikes my fancy. We've had rain fairly regularly of late, and it kicked all the plantaginea family into high gear. Where originally I counted Fried Bananaas as my #1 looker, it is not alone any more.

My species plantaginea from 2010 is filling in, and the new Aphrodite sitting next to it is of equal size. Fragrant Dream and Fragrant King are both looking massive in their pots too. It makes me think I may have to consider putting some of them in the ground next year....how am I going to manage even bigger POTS!!! And the golden leafed plants are mostly staying gold since I found a way to give them morning sun but no afternoon sun, to speak of anyway. Heck, I'd have to put up a picture of the whole garden.
Except for the minis.

Sandy, I was so impressed with your description of Goodness Gracious and the photo that you posted that I bought one today. :)

Thanks for all the responses and pictures. I love to see other's hostas and gardens.

Mocassin: I agree. Each time I walk through something else looks really good to me.

Steve mass: Spectacular S & S.

hosta freak: Sagae is on my wish list.

Oh yes, Moccasin, I love the fragrant ones. Putting those in the backyard (so the deer can't get 'em). Except for Holy Mole and I planted it by the front door. Going to have to move it because it doesn't have the distinct variegation that I was hoping for. Maybe too much sun?

Thinking of another fragrant one to sub for Holy Mole, I imagine that Stained Glass would be sure to hold its edge....which is not really wide, but then the center is what is wide. It could fade some of the gold, but it is still a good looking plant.

Then one that is tough as nails and similar in COLOR to Stained Glass is Dick Ward. Same sort of variegation, light center and dark margins. But not fragrant.

Are you looking for a medium-large sort of hosta? or a large? I see that Alex Summers with a dark center and a gold margin is a smooth and well organized hosta. But so is Satisfaction. And the older one of my Satisfactions has a very tough leaf. I got it in 2010, it was my NOID. The new Satisfaction which came this year has not developed the substance the other one has. So if you do not have a Satisfaction, take a look at a mature one and see if it does what you want by your front steps. If the first thing your visitors say is WHAT IS THAT PLANT OUT THERE? you know you made the right choice. :)

I think I'll cast my vote for Cathedral Windows as best performer this year. I love the way this one and Stained Glass pump out a lot of leaves throughout the summer. CW is three years old and I think it's growth is outstanding.

I agree with Goodness Gracious and Cathedral Windows.
Here is my Goodness Gracious back in June:

Well, I lost everything I'd written again. drat it all.
So just bare bones. My two are:
Stained Glass since 2011 here:

Fried Bananas here since 2011:

For me:

Stained Glass
So Sweet

Neither got the memo that we are in a heat wave/drought!

Alex Summers is on my list but it's vase-like & I want something that's filled in all the way to the ground. And, yes, I need a front door hosta. Something dramatic that gets sun for the first half of the day. Fills about a 4' square bed. That looks good w/ yews. I love Guardian Angel and don't have one yet but it's too frou-frou, I think, for that spot. Holy Mole was just perfect, in theory. Mine just hasn't developed that great contrast that I want to echo the dark green of the yews.