Theresa Schutt Hosta House

This area contains many of the oldest and many of the newest hosta cultivars planted at the Arboretum. With colors ranging from bright green to gold, blue and variegated and sizes from miniature to extra-large, hundreds of hosta varieties show off the diversity of this genus.

The Theresa Schutt Hosta House is a Japanese style wooden structure tucked away on the north side of the Cafferty Building. It was built and dedicated in 1997 in honor of Theresa Schutt of Woolstock, a devoted volunteer, former Board member, and well-respected hosta enthusiast. She was the person who first brought hostas to the Iowa Arboretum. In the early 1990’s there were few hosta nurseries in the area and people lined up for hours to wait for the opening of the annual spring hosta sale at the Iowa Arboretum. Theresa was the one who wielded the knife in making divisions of hostas for the sale. Funds for the hosta house were contributed by the Russ O’Harra Hosta Society of central Iowa, the Midwest Hosta Society, and the Gretchen Harshbarger Hosta Society of eastern Iowa.

The shade structure was extensively damaged by the August 2020 derecho but was able to be repaired. The Eastern white pines surrounding the structure were devastated and had to be removed. New walkways, additional hostas, a row of arborvitae for wind protection, and a water feature are being added in preparation for hosting the national convention of the American Hosta Society in 2023.