POLYPLOID HOSTAS

Polyploid plants contain more than two sets of chromosomes (diploid). A tetraploid, for example, has four complete sets of chromosomes in each of three apical layers, expressed as 4-4-4. A ploidy chimera, on the other hand, has different ploidy among the apical layers (for example, 4-2-2). The list which follows includes both those which are totally tetraploid and ploidy chimeras.

Many hosta cultivars have been suggested to be polyploids, but relatively few have actually been checked to verify it. One method to determine ploidy level is by flow cytometry. This research has been conducted primarily by Zonneveld and van Iren at Leiden University in The Netherlands.

Thick leaf substance is one indication of polyploidy, particularly when a sport or seedling is compared to the parent plant. However, leaf substance alone does determine ploidy. Hosta 'Grand Tiara' for example, is thin-substanced (.007" thick) but is fully tetraploid (4-4-4). On the other hand, hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' was previously thought to be tetraploid because of its thick substance (.014"). Testing by flow cytometry, however, has recently revealed that 'Blue Mouse Ears' is merely diploid (2-2-2).

While the list below includes all hostas which are currently thought to be polyploids, those species and cultivars which have been confirmed to be so through laboratory testing are indicated with an asterisk (refer to the list of "Hostas Analyzed by Flow Cytometry"). The diploid or polyploid parent is shown in parentheses.

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  • 'Abba Diana Reeck' ----- (parentage unknown)
  • 'Abiqua Recluse' ----- ('White Vision' x 'Sum and Substance')
  • * 'Amber Tiara' 4-4-4 ----- ('Grand Tiara')
  • 'American Sweetheart' ----- ('Sea Thunder')
  • 'Americana' ----- ('Loyalist')
  • * 'Amine Tachi' 3-3-3 ----- (rectifolia-type)
  • 'Anne' ----- ('Fortunei Aureomarginata')
  • 'Atlantis' ----- ('Abba Dabba Do')
  • * 'Blazing Saddles' 3-3-3 ----- ('Beatrice' sdlg x 'Blue Umbrellas')
  • 'Blue Dome' ----- ('Tokudama')
  • 'Bobcat' ----- ('Wolverine')
  • 'Braveheart' ----- ('Invincible')
  • 'Bulletproof' ----- ('Touch of Class')
  • * 'Captain Kirk' 4-2-2 ----- ('Gold Standard')
  • 'Cathedral Windows' ----- ('Stained Glass')
  • * 'Cheatin Heart' 2-2-4 ----- ('Subcrocea' sdlg x 'Birchwood Gem')
  • 'Cherry Pie' ----- ('Cherry Berry')
  • 'Cherry Tomato' ----- ('Cherry Berry')
  • * 'Christmas Candy' 4-4-4 ----- ('Night before Christmas')
  • 'Christmas Charm' ----- ('Night before Christmas')
  • 'Christmas Cookies' ----- ('Night before Christmas')
  • 'Christmas Lights' ----- ('Christmas Tree')
  • * clausa 3-3-3
  • 'Clifford's Forest Fire' ----- ('Sagae')
  • 'Clifford's Stingray' ----- ('Loyalist')
  • 'Commander' ----- ('First Mate')
  • 'Crystal Tiara' ----- ('Grand Tiara')
  • 'Cyclone' ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • * 'Dance with Me' 4-4-4 ----- ('Summer Music')
  • 'Darwin's Standard' ----- ('Gold Standard')
  • 'Dracula' ----- ('Paradise Island')
  • * 'Dream Weaver' 4-2-2 ----- ('Great Expectations')
  • * 'Dust Devil' 4-4-4 ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • * 'Eagle's Nest' 3-3-A ----- ('Sum and Substance')
  • 'Electrum Stater' ----- ('Abiqua Recluse')
  • 'Enterprise' ----- ('Captain Kirk')
  • 'Epiphany' ----- ('Paradigm')
  • 'Essence of Summer' ----- ('Warwick Essence')
  • * 'Eternal Flame' 4-4-4 ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • 'Fantasy Island' ----- ('Island Charm')
  • 'Fire and Ice' ----- ('Patriot')
  • 'Fireworks' ----- ('Loyalist')
  • * 'First Light' 4-4-6 ----- ('Morning Light')
  • 'First Mate' ----- ('Kabitan')
  • 'Five O'Clock Somewhere' ----- ('Five O'Clock Shadow')
  • 'Flame Tiara' ----- ('Amber Tiara')
  • 'Flame Stitch' ----- (ventricosa 'Aureomarginata')
  • 'Flash of Light' ----- ('Francee')
  • 'Forbidden Fruit' ----- ('Orange Marmalade')
  • 'Foxfire Rose Red' ----- ('Cherry Berry')
  • 'Foxfire Snake Eyes' ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • 'Friar Tuck' ----- ('Sum It Up')
  • * 'Frosted Dimples' 4-4-4 ----- ('Blue Dimples' x 'Silver Frost')
  • 'Goodness Gracious' ----- ('Satisfaction')
  • 'Grand Prize' ----- ('Golden Tiara')
  • * 'Grand Tiara' 4-2-2 and 4-4-4 ----- ('Golden Tiara')
  • 'Green Army Man' ----- ('September Sun')
  • * 'Guardian Angel' 3-3-3 ----- ('Blue Angel')
  • 'Hands Up' ----- ('Praying Hands')
  • 'Heat Wave' ----- ('Bright Lights')
  • * 'Heaven Scent' 4-2-2 ----- (plantaginea)
  • 'Heavenly Tiara' ----- ('Grand Tiara')
  • 'Hi Ho Silver' ----- ('Ginko Craig')
  • 'High Society' ----- ('June')
  • 'Hirao Zeus' ----- ('Tokudama')
  • * 'Holly's Honey' 3-3-3 ----- (ventricosa)
  • 'Hollywood Lights' ----- ('On Stage')
  • 'Holy Mole' ----- ('Guacamole')
  • * 'Independence' 4-4-4 ----- ('Revolution')
  • 'Iris Frazier' ----- ('Five O'Clock Somewhere')
  • 'Ivory Coast' ----- ('Sagae')
  • 'Jade Stone' ----- ('Guacamole')
  • * 'Jolly Green Dwarf' 4-4-4 ----- (ventricosa x unknown)
  • 'Justine' ----- ('June Fever')
  • 'Karin' ----- ('Anne')
  • * 'Kiwi Black Magic' 4-4-4 ----- ('Sieboldiana' x ventricosa)
  • 'La Donna' ----- ('Dinky Donna')
  • 'Lakeside Beach Captain' ----- ('Lakeside Shore Master')
  • * 'Lakeside Black Satin' 4-4-4 ----- (ventricosa)
  • * 'Lakeside Coal Miner' 3-3-3 ----- ("Seedling 10" selfed)
  • * 'Last Dance' 3-3-4 ----- ('Summer Music' sport)
  • 'Laverne and Shirley' ----- ('Linda Sue')
  • 'Let Me Entertain You' ----- ('Gypsy Rose Tease')
  • 'Liberty' ----- ('Sagae')
  • 'Linda Sue' ----- ('Frances Williams')
  • * 'Little Blue' 3-3-3 ----- (ventricosa)
  • 'Lodestar' ----- ('Sum and Substance')
  • 'Loyalist' ----- ('Patriot')
  • 'Lucy and Ethel' ----- ('Linda Sue')
  • 'Magic Fire' ----- ('Sagae')
  • 'Majesty' ----- ('Sagae')
  • * 'Mango Tango' 4-A-4 ----- ('Dance with Me')
  • * 'Middle Ridge' 4-2-2 ----- ('Undulata Univittata')
  • 'Midnight Ride' ----- ('Paul Revere')
  • * 'Minuteman' 4-4-4 ----- ('Francee')
  • * 'Morning Light' 4-4-4 ----- ('Twilight')
  • * 'Mourning Dove' 4-2-2 ----- ('Mikawa-no-yuki' x 'Blue Jay')
  • 'Mystic' ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • * 'Night before Christmas' 4-2-2 ----- ('White Christmas')
  • 'Ocean Isle Tornado' ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • 'Olympic Glacier' ----- ('Pathfinder')
  • 'Olympic Sunrise' ----- ('Katherine Lewis')
  • * 'Otome' 4-4-4 ----- (identification uncertain)
  • 'Paradise Breeze' ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • 'Paradise Glory' ----- ('Paul's Glory')
  • 'Paradise Gold Line' ----- (ventricosa 'Aureomarginata')
  • 'Paradise on Fire' ----- ('Fire and Ice')
  • 'Paradise Sunshine' ----- ('Guacamole')
  • * 'Pathfinder' 4-4-4 ----- ('Francee')
  • * 'Patriot' 4-2-2 and 4-4-4 ----- ('Francee')
  • 'Patriot Pride' ----- ('Patriot')
  • 'Patriot's Fire' ----- ('Francee')
  • 'Patriotic' ----- ('Francee')
  • 'Paul Revere' ----- ('Patriot')
  • * 'PeeDee Elfin Bells' 3-3-3 ----- (ventricosa)
  • 'Prestige and Promise' ----- ('Cadillac')
  • 'Pro Tek Tor' ----- ('Little Boy')
  • 'Purgatory' ----- ('Prince of Darkness')
  • 'Radiant Edger' ----- ('Gold Edger')
  • 'Rainbow's End' ----- ('Obsession')
  • 'Red Hot Flash' ----- ('PeeDee Gold Flash')
  • 'Remember Me' ----- ('June')
  • * 'Revolution' 4-4-4 ----- ('Loyalist')
  • 'Rhino Hide' ----- (parentage unknown)
  • 'Rich Uncle' ----- ('Electrum Stater')
  • 'Roy Klehm' ----- ('Summer Serenade')
  • * 'Royal Super' 2-2-4 ----- ('Royal Standard')
  • 'Schwarzer Ritter' ----- (ventricosa)
  • * 'Second Wind' 4-4-4 ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • 'Secret Ambition' ----- ('Secret Love')
  • * 'Shade Master' 4-4-4 ----- ('White Vision' x 'Golden Rajah')
  • * 'Shiny Substance' 3-3-3 ----- ('Sum and Substance')
  • 'Silver Lode' ----- ('Silver Streak')
  • 'Skipper' ----- ('First Mate')
  • 'Sno Cone' ----- ('Night before Christmas')
  • 'Snowy Lake' ----- ('Veronica Lake')
  • 'Spinach Souffle' ----- ('Garden Treasure')
  • 'St. Paul' ----- ('Paul's Glory')
  • * 'Stitch in Time' 4-A-A ----- ('Summer Breeze')
  • * 'Sum and Substance' 3-3-3 ----- (parentage unknown)
  • 'Sum of All' ----- ('Sum and Substance')
  • * 'Summer Breeze' 4-4-4 ----- ('Summer Music')
  • * 'Summer Lovin' 4-4-4 ----- ('Summer Breeze')
  • * 'Summer Music' 4-2-2 ----- ('Shade Master')
  • 'Sweet Innocence' ----- ('Fragrant Bouquet')
  • 'Tappen Zee' ----- ('Electrum Stater')
  • 'Timothy' ----- ('Gold Edger')
  • * 'Titanic' 3-3-3 ----- ('Sum and Substance')
  • 'Topaz Tiara' ----- ('Grand Tiara')
  • * 'Touch of Class' 4-2-2 ----- ('June')
  • * 'Trade Wind' 4-4-4 ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • * 'Twilight' 4-4-4 ----- ('Fortunei Aureomarginata')
  • 'Unducosa' ----- ('Undulata' x ventricosa)
  • 'Velvet Moon' ----- ('Abiqua Moonbeam')
  • * ventricosa 4-4-4
  • ventricosa 'Aureomaculata' ----- (ventricosa)
  • * ventricosa 'Aureomarginata' 4-4-4 ----- (ventricosa)
  • * ventricosa 'Golden Spot' 4-4-4 ----- (ventricosa)
  • * ventricosa 'Schwarzer Ritter' 4-4-4 ----- (ventricosa)
  • * ventricosa 'Spring Gold' 4-4-4 ----- (ventricosa)
  • * 'Venucosa' 3-3-3 ----- (venusta x ventricosa)
  • 'Victor' ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • 'Volcano Island' ----- ('Paradise Island')
  • 'Vulcan' ----- ('Captain Kirk')
  • * 'Warwick Essence' 4-4-4 ----- ('Northern Halo' x plantaginea)
  • 'Whirlaway' ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • 'Whirligig' ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • 'Whirling Dervish' ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • * 'Whirlwind' 4-4-4 ----- ('Fortunei Hyacinthina')
  • 'Whirlwind Tour' ----- ('Whirlwind')
  • 'Winter Bouquet' ----- ('Fragrant Bouquet')
  • 'Xanadu' ----- ('Fantasy Island)

In an effort to keep this list accurate and up-to-date, please email all corrections and additions to