Iowa Hosta Collection

Iowa Hosta Collection

The Iowa Hosta Collection is a two-part collection of prominent hosta hybridizers from Iowa. Orginally located at the entrance to the Shade Garden, the planting was moved to the pergola on the north side of the Hughes Educaiton Building in 2002. The original collection commenced with the procurement of Russ O’Harra selections with the establishment of the collection by the Russ O’Harra Hosta Society in 1994. Russ O’Harra was Iowa’s most prominent hosta hybridizers with approximately 34 cultivars credited to his breeding program.

As the Russ O’Harra Collection grew at the Iowa Arboretum, so did the need for space and designation of other noteable hosta hybridizers from Iowa. The pergola was therefore extended as an Eagle Scout Project in 2015 by Bjorn Iverson of Troop 196. The newly expanded pergola provided the perfect opportunity and space to add other Iowa hyrbridizer selections to the grounds. In 2018 a number of Iowa hybridizer hosta cultivars were donated as this installment. Cultivars from Greg Johnson formerly of Marshalltown, Jim Schwarz of Dubuque, the late Gretchen Harshbarger of Iowa City, and Frank Riehl, also of Iowa City are currently featured in the collection.