OK Ken. Get your mind out of the gutter! LOL

Thanks for posting Barb and Babka. Your Snake Eyes are lovely! I do see a resemblance. How has their growth rate been?

Maybe if I go there tomorrow and tell them the hosta's name is not correct, they will look into it? I did point out hosta virus in one plant there last year and they removed them. A few days later they let me know that I was correct and removed all of the hosta of the same variety. That was pretty good. So I think they would be able to find out the name of the hosta if I asked.

Just last week at another nursery I noticed a mislabelled hosta. The picture showed montana aureomarginata, but the plant was fortunei aureomarginata. I emailed the company and let them know. They got back to me and confirmed that I was correct. So I said "hey, what about a free hosta for my efforts." They said they would send me some fertilizer instead. And they did.

Good for you! Yes, you know your stuff. My Snake eyes (and all my other hostas) had a setback over the last few years with root rot and soil mealy bug larvae, so actually it is smaller than when I bought it in 2012, but coming back.

Don't go by my experiences, here where I am pushing the envelope with growing conditions, no freezes and rarely even a frost. Hostas like to get cold in winter. I don't.

-Babka

Newhostalady, I bought mine in June of 2015 so it is two years old. I guess I would say the growth was average. I have it in a lot of sun and there is root competition in the garden from the neighbour's tree so not an ideal location.

Babka, my hostas may like it here, but I'd rather be where you are. I don't like the cold either!

Sounds like yours is doing very well Barb considering the conditions. I will give it a try and see what happens. I did actually remove the hosta from the pot and look at the roots before I purchased. I think the pot is too big for the amount of roots. I'll downsize it to a smaller pot and give it a go.

Snake Eyes is listed for $30 from Country Garden and Gifts. Did you get a bargain?

Newhostalady -

I just noticed the price on you tag. Mine was $35 back when it first came out.

Dick - Your Snake Eyes is fabulous! That is why I went thru great lengths to keep this one going. Clorox, peroxide, imidacloprid, repotting, etc. Hoping mine will look like yours someday.

-Babka

I paid $100 for a 4 inch pot - looking back it was a bargain. I do not use chemicals on my hostas and they do fine.

Thanks Dick for weighing in. Your Snake Eyes looks fantastic and I am happy it is doing so well for you! Glad that you think my purchase is Snake Eyes too. My plant was $20 plus tax. But that price was for Striptease. I believe the price for Snake Eyes would have been higher.

So I got a bargain? Should I go snatch up another---even if it has sunburned edges or edges that seem to be drying up??? LOL

I would go back. They will probably make new leaves with a little TLC.

Hmmm . . . well I just might go back and buy another. Let me think for a moment . . . I have too many hostas and don't know where I am going to put them all . . . hell, I'll go back today! So what if I have one more that I don't know where to place! LOL I'll let you know whether there were any left. It will be interesting to see if other people gravitated to that one, and if they were willing to purchase a hosta whose leaves were not in tip top shape. Got to stop typing cause I've got to go!

Ha ha...I have the same problem, no more space, but what the heck, can always find room for another...it must be a hosta sickness

Too bad I didn't catch up on this one earlier - I'd have said pick one up for me and make a date to get together again!!! You snooze you lose I guess.

I love this quote, "Let me think for a moment . . . I have too many hostas and don't know where I am going to put them all . . . hell, I'll go back today! "

Mommyc, I guess it is a hosta sickness, but I prefer to call it a mild addiction problem! LOL There are a lot worse things to be addicted to!

Jo, if you are interested in one, send me an email. We can get together again and catch up on things!

Thanks popmama. I think most of us share that similar problem!

So I did go back to the nursery. I thought they weren't there but found they just moved them! It will be nice to see how they develop.

Raining all day...for next few days. Perhaps a ride to a nursery will alleviate what ails me? Emailing now. :)

A trip to the nursery tends to alleviate whatever ails me too.

Ssssssssnake Eyes! It was flanked by 2 Orange Marmalades. They were 2 of the three I lost over winter. I am going to move this and some others in the Fall away from the road and the plowed salt in the Winter. This one especially deserves a better location. Jon

Sorry for your losses Jon. Your Snake Eyes is very pretty. How long have you had it and how large is it now?

There's been too much rain this spring. And, as you said Jo, more rain in the forecast. It's been difficult to get things done in the garden. If the rain stops for a while, I may go out and repot a hosta or two. I have lots and lots to repot!

I got Sssssnake Eyes 2 years ago. It does well by the road, but I'm thinking it would do better in a less demanding location. Jon

Hope my Snake Eyes looks like yours in two years Jon! It seems pretty happy where it is. Sometimes it is difficult to know whether to move a hosta or not!

Well, I have lost the two Orange Marmalades and two others are on the intensive care that were planted near the road. The SSSSSnake looks very good, but maybe it could do better (???) Jon

I suppose if you take a large rootball, it won't even know it was moved! Wouldn't want to lose that one!

Oh, it will never know it was moved. ;-)

I had a sport on my Strip Tease last year but it did not survive the winter. I did not detach it from the mamma plant.

Good move, Dick. When you see a cool sport one year, take notes, IF it returns the next year separate it from mama. If it is all green on a normally variegated hosta I twist it off and toss it so it doesn' t take over the plant. Somehow from your posts, I figger you know exactly what you are doing...much better than I.

-Babka

I have a sport on my Striptease for the third year now. I do not plan to separate it yet.

Looks interesting, Newhostalady. As long as it is remains strange and doesn't overpower your Striptease, I'd keep it attached too. You have something very interesting going on there. Are those the the only two leaves on the same shoot that are doing that yellow thing? Aren't hostas fun?

-Babka

Babka, it's about four leaves and one shoot. Only one shoot for the last three years. It is quite bright when emerging and then fades barely being noticable. My Striptease is now 47 shoots so I don't think it will be overpowering it too soon!

Went to the nursery where I bought the presumed Snake Eyes. They said they will take a picture and send it to the supplier. They will call me to let me know what the named hosta is. Should hear from them in a few days.

Let it grow, let it grow, let it grow. Wait and see, wait and see, wait and see.

-Babka

a while back, we listed a few of the known permutations of the genetically malleable striptease ...

click to reveal something that will blow your mind, or tease your brain

Wow, that hosta looks amazing! I wonder whatever happened to it? Thanks for the link bragu!

So I sent a picture of the Striptease plant to the nursery I purchased it from. They forwarded it to their Head Perennial Purchaser and their Head Perennial Grower. Here is their response:

I have sent your photo’s . . . to inquire with our head perennial grower as well as our head perennial purchaser whether the photos of the hosta you have provided is the Striptease variety. They have said that it is in fact the Striptease variety. I have included their responses below:

Good evening,

In my opinion it looks like Striptease. The lighter strip, with the white border, are the trademark markings of Striptease hostas. The crispness of the colours can be effected by sun light exposure as well as fertilizer.

Brad, Head Perennial Purchaser

and---

Hello Ben:

I can confirm that from the photos provided that it does appear to match the rest of our Hosta ‘Striptease’ crop. We only had a small crop of Hosta ‘striptease’ grown this year, with only literally a few left.

Head grower, Perennials

_______________________________

Any thoughts about their responses?

In my observations, Striptease, Snake Eyes, and Gypsy Rose, can all look the same when they are young vigorously growing plants from the growing nurseries.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!

Well, it may "match the rest of their crop", but Snake Eyes is a sport of Striptease with a "wider white stripe". Yes, Striptease is distinguished with that narrow white line, but you have a "wider white stripe" and just between you and me, it is Snake Eyes. See what it does in the next couple years and then decide what to call it. I'd label it Snake Eyes/Striptease, or just call it "Lucky Find." So many sports are discovered these days with tc's. That whole particular batch may have come from a sported bud. Who knows???

Steve is correct that young plants are sometime hard to distinguish from one another. I have Striptease and Snake Eyes plants (2001, 2012). They are not young.

I just looked them up in the AHS Registry and the little white line in Striptease isn't even mentioned! (Huh?) Here is the description of Snake Eyes from the Registry. Wanna go measure that line???????? ;-)

-Babka

'Snake Eyes' A. Torvinen (ONIR) 2005Plant: 36 in. (91 cm) diameter, 15 in. (38 cm) high; mound-like; fast.Leaf: 7.00 in. (17 cm) long, 5.00 in. (12 cm) wide; 8 to 10 pairs of veins; light green; medium green margin; flat; dull on top; glaucous bloom underneath; tip twisted; ovate; rounded base; petiole is light green, medium green, and white down the peti.Scape: 23 to 27 in. (58 cm) long;Flower: tubular; Royal Oak, MI - July 15 to Aug 15;Clump History: original sport; 6 yrs old; Royal Oak, MI;Notable Characteristics: .13 to .25 inch white flash (line) between margin and center[Sport of H. 'Striptease']

Steve, I could definitely see the possibility of Snake Eyes, Striptease and Gypsy Rose looking alike when young. I purchased my Striptease and Gypsy Rose in 2012. Even though they were similar, there definitely was a difference. I currently have a young Gypsy Rose. I will take current pictures of the two potted "Striptease" with it tomorrow. It will be fun to see them side by side.

Babka, it sure would be nice to know exactly where these Striptease came from. Dare I write and ask them whether it is a tc plant or a division from mature plants?

Thanks for looking it up on the Registry and adding the information here. I hadn't thought of that! I did go out and have another look at the line. (I will measure tomorrow and report back!) I was just wondering whether the line should have those measurements when the plant is still young. What I did notice though was that the petiole did seem to have the light green, medium green, and white down the petiole. My five year old Striptease plant does not have white down the petiole. I found that interesting.

So I will report back regarding the white line. So if I find only one white line with those measurements above, then does that mean it is Snake Eyes????

And therefore, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!" LOL

Sorry for the delay! I have pictures now:

This is the second "Striptease" plant. Above are my two young Gypsy Rose hosta.

And the petioles:

Any further comments?

Glad to hear that you were able to get another one. Lucky you! Guess time will tell.

-Babka

I think I will email the nursery and ask whether their stock of Striptease is tc grown or field grown. And I just might mention the similarity to Snake Eyes for their comment.

Maybe spilt milk?

I don't think so, Madonna as H. 'Spilt Milk' is totally different in every way starting with leaf shape. Here is mine early in season (not this year) for comparison.

NHL, I don't think you will have any problem identifying it next spring when it emerges...a wee bit older to boot. It's true colours should be very evident and the thick white lines more prominent. Lucky buy X 2! :D

When I first bought Striptease back around 2009 or so the white line was distinguishable but never as thick as the white on your samples. The "tease" was very thin. Just took these...

This is a mature one but having it relocated last June reduced the leaf size somewhat this year. They were larger before relocation. The white lines are less of an impact than yours for sure. Petioles...

This photo is of the potted half of Striptease growing in more sun.

Based on comparison of mine and yours above, I'd say you had Snake Eyes but next year will be the tell, I think.

I think you are right Jo, next year will be the year for identification. I do have a mature Striptease and it does look similar to yours. You may have more white lines in yours as you have a sunnier location. Yours are looking great! I don't think my Striptease had that much white in it when I first purchased it. Unfortunately, I didn't take many photos back then. Hard to get clear results comparing a mature hosta with an immature one. Thanks for all the photos! (I think the petioles look different when comparing, don't you?)

Babka, it was a good idea to check the Hosta Registry. I hadn't thought of that. I went to the Registry to have another look. Sparse information on Striptease. I guess they weren't into that much detail in 1991! I noticed something else: apparently the leaf vein count is different for the two hostas. Striptease has 8-10 vein pairs and Snake Eyes has 6-7. So I went out to count. My Striptease has 9 and my Snake Eyes has 6. So I thought so far, so good. But now as I look again at the Registry I got it wrong. Is the Registry wrong? It says that Striptease has 6-7 veins (but mine has 9!) and Snake Eyes has 8-10. What is going on? Can you count how many vein pairs you have on your Striptease Jo? I thought I had picked up on a significant difference between the two hostas, but Striptease can't be correct could it? And if it is not, would the Registry not have corrected this by now?

I've been reading this thread with interest. All I can add is that when my Striptease was young, it never had such a dramatic line. When I got Snake Eyes it looked like yours. Too bad I lost my Snake Eyes so I can't check to see if the white went down the petiole like yours. And as you're showing it looks nothing like Gypsy Rose. It looks like you have two very nice Snake Eyes. Makes me want to try it again.

Going outside to count...brb. Edited to add vein-count is uniformly 9 on my mature Striptease. I, too, noticed the petiole difference ... Snake Eyes has a major difference when compared to Striptease and that is the very vivid white line surrounding the "eye" portion of the leaf. Striptease does not (I have 2 leaves on the entire plant that have a white strip on both sides only) - a very thin white strip is on one side or the other predominantly. The distance test is another variant - you can spot Snake Eyes from a distance - Striptease not so much, barely as the white is apparent in close proximity to the plant.

Sandyslopes, I am glad you found this thread interesting. I wish you had your Snake Eyes too! I don't think my Striptease looked like that when young either. The nurseries Perennial Purchaser stated that fertilizer and sunlight could have an effect on the hosta. If sunlight were a factor, then all those Striptease plants in a lot of sun would have more white lines and/or wider white lines. But I don't think they do.

Thanks for going outdoors and counting veins Jo! So you and I have 9 vein pairs for Striptease. My Striptease does not have a lot of leaves with white lines. I haven't noticed whether the leaves have the white strip on both sides. I shall do that tomorrow! (That was an interesting observation on your part!)

I agree that the petioles do look different. I think that the white in the Snake Eyes leaf makes it stand out just as you say Jo---and therefore, Striptease not so much.

I will be looking forward to seeing how this one looks next spring!

Your plant looks like Kiwi Full Monty to me . http://www.hostacollectie.be/Hostapagina%27s/K/hostakiwifullmonty.htm

Thanks for making a guess signet. I have a very young Kiwi Full Monty, and I believe its leaves are bluer. I'll have a look when I go outside.