President's Message

President's Message from the Current Newsletter - May 2024

Expressions from Ella!

Well spring is officially here and my hostas are up. The colors are so bright, and it’s interesting to see their variegation and size develop as they emerge. I read some interesting information on color from the Walters Gardens website. Some hosta foliage coloring can change during the growing season. Pigments lighten or brighten while others change to more green. These changes are affected by heat and indirectly by sunlight so as the temperatures rise the colors can change. There are three main types of color changes. Hosta can be viridescent meaning they start off bright yellow, chartreuse, or whitish-green and then darken to a solid green. Other hostas are lutescent and lighten as the season progresses. They shift from chartreuse to yellow or a dark green lightens. Lastly are abescent hostas that have yellow or chartreuse patterns that become white later in the growing season. 

Now the blue hosta color is different because its color saturation appears by reflected light off a waxy coating on the leaf. As the wax wears away during the year, the hostas appear less blue. Interesting facts to consider when choosing new plants or appreciating those you have growing. Enjoy your garden. 

Ella Maxwell

 Central Illinois Hosta Society President