H. 'Liberty'

One of the 2011 purchases as part of the annual Costco crapshoot were two bags labeled as 'Liberty'. Certainly at this point the colour and variegation looks correct, but I don't feel comfortable with the leaf shape when comparing it to pictures on the Hosta Library for example. I'll make that call later in the year once they've 'put more meat on their bones'.

The more I look at these in the garden, the more inclined I am to have my doubts to them being as labelled. The shape of the leaves is wrong, the shade of green is not right when compared to an unfurling 'Sagae' and the variegation looks more chartreuse than creamy, but it looks wide enough for the indicated variety. As said, I'll hold off making the final call.

To make matters worse, by late May it became quite obvious that they are also suffering from an HVX infection. So, they're history.

In this picture you see two different manifestations of HVX: inkbleed along the veins and tissue collapse.

Two plants were held back, they showed no concrete signs of HVX infection, and I'm somewhat curious as to what the actual variety is that we have here. I like the leaf substance and its sun-tolerance, though it does tend to bleach out by the end of August. Tentatively I am thinking what we have here may well prove to be 'Summer Breeze', hopefully in 2012 they'll put on some more growth and we'll be able to zero in on its true identity a little better, particularly if it flowers.