Hi Betts. Pretty well every hosta out there on the market is a hybrid and most don't produce true from seed. Many do produce viable seed though. I have a copy of Mark Zilis' hosta handbook which has infirmation on a huge number of hostas, including whether the seeds are viable. Do you recall the variety? I'd be glad to look it up for you. Email me direct at jel48@charter.net if you like - that way I won't miss your response about the variety.

I grew three varieities of hosta seed last year and they are easy and rewarding to grow.

I think you may have gathered the pods too hastily. Hostas take months to mature and split their pods, but it's worth the wait to allow them to mature on their plant.

T

Thanks, je148 - but the tag from the hosta has disappeared and I don't have any recollection of the name. It was an expensive named variety though. Trudi, if I waited those months to have the seeds turn black, we would have to dig through 3 feet of snow to get at them. The seed pods opened on their own in the paper bag.

Sorry Trudi, I have to disagree with that one. According to Hosta Library, "If you do not cut-off spent flower-stems, you will notice (in most cases?) that seedpods are sitting there. The seedpod stems are green, and most seedpods likewise, with hosta-type exceptions. The seed is ripe, when the seedpod color has changed from green, to yellow, to brown, and bottom pods begin to split open". In my garden this autumn, for most varieties, that was about 5-6 weeks after the seedpods were formed. They do take some time, but not months.

Joyce