Anyone growing Hosta venusta or 'Kinbotan'?

4 years ago

In 2018 I picked up a plant labeled H. venusta from a local nursery and my main reason for reaching for it was that it was sporting. I have since grown it on and divided it twice and the variegated form is viridescent. At flowering time the variegation has gone decidedly green and by the end of the season it has darkened to the point where you can no longer distinguish any variegation at all. It's quite vigorous and have started to refer to it provisionally as 'Kinbotan' but that name applies to a venusta seedling, not a sport of the specie. There is no indication that 'Kinbotan' is viridescent that I can find although one of the pictures in the HL does show a green variegation as opposed to the mostly cream you see in the other pictures. If indeed what I have is venusta then it would appear as if I have an as yet unnamed sport.

Here are a few pictures. The first one is from late April and the variegation is creamy.

Here is the same pot shot just a few minutes ago and notice how the creamy variegation has gone almost green.

This plant has put up a scape and there are buds but no flowers as yet. The 2nd pot I have is in a different location and it's a 2-gallon pot so it's a larger plant and it's in bloom.

I have not been able to find any pictures other than what's in the HL of the Kinbotan flowers and it does rather look like what I have but my flowers look somewhat different from what's being shown under venusta and that's what I supposedly have. And I say supposedly because this after all was labelled as being venusta. It's a fair question as to indeed that's what I have, the flowers give me concern.

Pieter

Featured Answer

lindalana 5b Chicago

4 years ago

Here it is. Sitting in a pile waiting to be planted.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (15)

steve duggins(Z6a) - Central Ohio
4 years ago
Very interesting and cool. I have no help for you except to ponder if venusta decided to spread its seed around and something grew up in a nearby pot and got lumped in with the rest. Probably more likely to be a sport. Do flowers sport too? I think it's highly unlikely.
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked steve duggins(Z6a) - Central Ohio
djacob Z6a SE WI
4 years ago
The only venusta I know is the rhrizomous type the nicholsworth has been trying to dig out for a year now. Yours is obviously a different hosta. Always nice to have a sport…..

debra
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked djacob Z6a SE WI
Related Professionals
Sugar Land Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Leominster Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Newburyport Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Ontario Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Greenville Landscape Contractors · Philadelphia Landscape Contractors · Amherst Landscape Contractors · Youngstown Landscape Contractors · Mission Viejo Landscape Contractors · New Orleans Home Additions · Greensboro Home Additions · Barnstable Home Additions · Newark Home Additions · Milwaukee Home Additions · San Diego Home Additions
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
Original Author
4 years ago
Debra, the most common rhizomatous hosta I can think of would be clausa. From what I gather it can be a bit of a thug in the garden, more or less on par with Lily of the Valley in that respect. I do have one form of clausa and like most of my hostas it's in pots and I can attest to its growth habit as I regularly end up with a runner out of the drainage holes.

A few years ago I un-potted one and just look at the length of that runner, must be over 2 ft.

Pieter
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
debra..I have both Venusta and Clausa..it's Clausa that I'm STILL digging out..getting rid of Clausa seems hopeless 🙁..the term that I saw referring to Clausa is stoloniferous..Clausa is my only hosta that spreads like crazy..

some pics of Venusta today..I intended to take pics when the scapes were new..they were so dainty and adorable..Venusta has grown since I planted it but nothing like Clausa..

a pic standing over it..

a pic from ground level..

an old pic of Clausa..it really is a thug..
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks for the pictures, NW. Could I ask you to take some close-up pictures of the venusta flowers face-on, similar to the picture I show in the original posting, thanks so much!

Pieter
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
4 years ago
Pieter..the flowers are past their prime but I'll take some pics tomorrow!..

I love this little hosta..
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years ago
feel like cleu-so this morning ...

here is the only pic if have of kinbotan

i swear it had other names ...

i did have venusta.. but apparently it ws so uninspiring i never took a pic of it ...

here is Venusta 'Porpter' ..for what that is worth ... i have no clue why it was a named cultivar ...

ken
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Pieter..that was tough!..only 3 decent blooms..they're low and small..hard to hold upright without motion Lol..

I hope these are helpful..(pics #3 and #4 are actually not identical so I posted both)..
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
garyz6ohio
4 years ago
Couple more pictures. Hoping it helps out.
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked garyz6ohio
djacob Z6a SE WI
4 years ago
Typical of me to get names wrong…..not sure what you mean when You say, ” the flowers give me concer.” What I noticed was your flowers petals curl back. I did not notice that with any photos of Venusta or Kinbotan in the HL.

debra
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked djacob Z6a SE WI
peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
4 years ago
Pieter mine of course is the same as yours, including the flowers. The difference in our zones is interesting because mine did not get the variegation until mid July. I was looking yesterday and did not see any as yet.

Just one section shows variegation. Pic was taken July11/21.
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
hosta_maker
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Hugos database says it has a veridescent edge.

https://myhostas.be/db/view/Kinbotan

i have 2 forms of venusta. the red tubes version is becoming an important breeder for me.

the flowers have red tubes. completely different than the other form.

swoosh is also stoliniferous it has to be sited carefully as a mass planting,or dug up every other year.
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked hosta_maker
lindalana 5b Chicago
4 years ago
I have a clump somewhere and I think it survived the move. I have been planking minies everywhere I find a spot in new bed as I do not have separate bed made yet.

Pretty sure it looks like HL pictures, do not remember it going green like yours. Hmm, now I have to go see if I can find it.
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C. thanked lindalana 5b Chicago
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you to all who've contributed their pictures! Upon careful comparison I have come to the conclusion that what I have probably is not either 'Kinbotan' nor another form of venusta as the flowers I have on my plants are different from what I have seen contributed as 'Kinbotan' and from what I have seen as venusta. First off the petals on my flowers are almost recurved, as you can see in the first picture taken today, reminiscent of Martagon lilies almost.

The other difference is in the throat of the flower which shows a different pattern.

And there's also a subtle difference in the shape of the petals, mine are more lanceolate, the ones in the picture Gary contributed are more ovoid in shape. So, the real question now is, what is it that I have?

Pieter