Can Anyone ID This NOID?

[Phil]

I got this locally, the parent clump was labelled "Angel Wings" but clearly that's wrong. The parent clump was very tall and vase shaped. Also, what about the leaf in the upper right hand corner? It looks like Elegans with a splash of light green. I don't remember planting it so It could have come up from seed.

[Chris_W]

Hi Phil,

It reminds me of Jade Cascade a little, but Jade Cascade is upright and cascading and not really vase shaped. When I see NOIDS like this I sometimes wonder if it was just a seedling that someone named themselves but didn't actually register. I think you would have to grow it a while to see the true form and then watch for the flowers to compare it to other things, so this one might be tough to ID.

The other one could be Dream Weaver, Thunderbolt, or Dream Queen. It one wouldn't be a seedling as Elegans doesn't produce any variegated babies, but they are related to Elegans so could be one of those.

[Mark Raw]

I too would go with Chris on great expectations or Dream weaver or Thunderbolt. They are all slow growing and take their time to get to any significant size. Maybe the big green has Montana in it's heritage somewhere.

[Phil]

Wow, I thought it would be an easy call. I'll keep my eye on it. It's pretty unique, I thought it would be a well known variety.

All of the suggestions for the other one I definitely have never bought. Is it possible to be a seedling of something else? I kind of like it, but I'm not sure it's nice enough to have been registered.

[Mark Raw]

Looking at it again (the big green) it does have a resemblance to Montana macrophylla. Was also known as praeflorens. Was it from a BIG plant ?

[Chris_W]

Yes, it could be montana macrophylla - it looks very close to that and macrophylla is a lot more vase shaped.

[Phil]

That could be it, the leaves certainly match. The one I have is very tall, you can see the base under the foliage.

[Mark Raw]

I certainly would'nt complain about that one. For shere size alone it's worth it WOW I would love one of them.

[Phil]

Montana macrophylla is pretty close, as is Big Boy, but I have not yet found an image that shows the degree of leaf droop my plant has. The stems go nearly straight up and the leaves hang nearly straight down.

I'm going to have to go back and get a picture of the parent plant. I'm not sure how I can get back out of there empty handed, but sometimes you just have to take one for the team.

[Mark Raw]

leaves may be hanging cos it's been divided, it may pick up in time or next year.

[Phil]

Actually the untouched plant where I got it had the same degree of droop.

[Mark Raw]

Was it particular dry?

[Phil]

No, not too bad.

[jgh]

my first thought was montana as well. I'll admit it - I can't tell the difference between montana and montana f. macrophylla (which is, apparently, the way montana has developed on the island of Honshu, but still montana...) and lots of montana seedlings growing near my Mountain Snow... but the big leaves and the taper suggest montana... and montana do "cascade" due to the weight of the leaves after a spring "vase-shaped" original look.

[Mark Raw]

I dont have a Montana as such but did wonder if the weight of the leaves would cause it to droop as such.

[Phil]

The leaves don't really seem that heavy compared to some other really big hostas...

[Chris_W]

Every time I walk by my Jade Cascade I keep thinking that's what you have. Have you checked pictures of it to compare with the original clump?

[Phil]

Yes it sure does look like it! No I hadn't been aware of Jade Cascade. Tomorrow I'm going to a place with 1800 hosta varieties, I'm going to look for it.

[Chris_W]

Missed my first post Phil?

[Linda P]

The post-stealing gremlins have been at it again. I'd swear that I posted Jade Cascade as a guess
several days ago, but apparantly it did not go through. That narrower leaf and pronounced 'droop' make
me think that's a likely candidate.