IOWA HOSTA GARDEN
Iowa Hostas
Hostas are one of the most versatile plants for the shade. Growing in a vast array of colors, sizes, shapes, and patterns, just about any gardener can find a selection they find charming. Iowans in particular have been passionate about this plant for decades, with several notable hosta breeders arising over the years.
This garden displays some of the many hosta varieties bred by Iowans. Rare varieties that were gifted from private collections make up the vast majority of the plants, however there are several well-known vareities that had a run of commercial success. Some of the vareities are decades old, while others are rather contemporary. Iowans are still breeding hostas, and so new varieties are always being added.
The original Iowa Hosta collection began with the procurement of plants bred by Russ O’Harra. Russ O’Harra was one of Iowa’s most prominent hosta hybridizers with approximately 34 cultivars credited to his breeding program, the local hosta society is named in his honor. These selections were the foundation of the collection established at the Arboretum by the Russ O’Harra Hosta Society in 1994.
Additional hosta varieties bred by Iowans have been donated by board members, hosta society members, and members over the years.
In 2023 this garden was spotlighted as part of the American Hosta Society (AHS) National Convention hosted in Ames, IA. Then in 2024, this garden was designated a American Hosta Society National Hosta Display Garden.
As a result, the Russ O’Harra Hosta Society began a fund for the perpetual management of the AHS display garden, spurring a significant garden renovation in 2025. In 2025 alone the garden footprint and number of hosta varieties bred by Iowans doubled. This garden is now home to over 100 different hosta varieties bred by Iowans!
To learn more about the whole Hosta Collection, click here.
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Plant Lists:
Hosta x ‘Gift of Sight’ – Gift of Sight hosta
Marlys Anderson Hostas
Hosta x ‘White Linen’ – White Linen hosta
Kirk Brill Hostas
Hosta x ‘Captain Kirk’ – Captain Kirk hosta
Hosta x ‘Faithful Heart’ – Faithful Heart hosta
Hosta x ‘Geisha Limey Streaks’ – Geisha Limey Streaks hosta
Hosta x ‘Lochness Blue’ – Lochness Blue hosta
Fleeta Brownell Woodroffe
Hosta x ‘Pebble Beach’ – Pebble Beach hosta
Hosta x ‘Thai Brass’ – Thai Brass hosta
Jerry Hadrava Hostas
Hosta x ‘Li’l Abner’ – Li’l Abner hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosedale Barnie’ – Rosedale Barnie hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosedale Blend Master’ – Rosedale Blend Master hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosedale Dewy’ – Rosedale Dewy hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosedale Genevieve’ – Rosedale Genevieve hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosedale Golden Goose’ – Rosedale Golden Goose hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosedale Richie Valens’ – Rosedale Richie Valens hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosedale Spoons’ – Rosedale Spoons hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosedale Sugar Time’ – Rosedale Sugar Time hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosedale Terraced Hills’ – Rosedale Terraced Hills hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosedale Tractor Seat’ – Rosedale Tractor Seat hosta
Hosta x ‘Slick Willie’ – Slick Willie hosta
Gretchen Harshbarger Hostas
Hosta x ‘Golden Spider’ – Golden Spider hosta
Hosta x ‘King Tut’ – King Tut hosta
Hosta x ‘Moon Lily’ – Moon Lily hosta
Hosta x ‘Treasure’ – Treasure hosta
Jim Heinz Hostas
Hosta x ‘Ava Ann’ – Ava Ann hosta
Bob Hird Hostas
Hosta x ‘Bridal Veil’ – Bridal Veil hosta
Hosta x ‘Deep Pockets’ – Deep Pockets hosta
Greg Johnson Hostas
Hosta x ‘Blue Haired Lady’ – Blue Haired Lady hosta
Hosta x ‘Everlasting Love’ – Everlasting Love hosta
Hosta x ‘Jaz’ – Jaz hosta
Hosta x ‘Judy Rocco’ – Judy Rocco hosta
Hosta x ‘Kabuki’ – Kabuki hosta
Hosta x ‘Lullabye’ – Lullabye hosta
Hosta x ‘Moonlight Sonata’ – Moonlight Sonata hosta
Hosta x ‘Mystic Star’ – Mystic Star hosta
Hosta x ‘Radio Waves’ – Radio Waves hosta
Hosta x ‘Rhythm and Blues’ – Rhythm and Blues hosta
Hosta x ‘Sandhill Crane’ – Sandhill Crane hosta
Hosta x ‘Sentimental Journey’ – Sentimental Journey hosta
Hosta x ‘Shady Affair’ – Shady Affair hosta
Hosta x ‘Tequila Sunrise’ – Tequila Sunrise hosta
Hosta x ‘Topaz’ – Topaz hosta
Hosta x ‘Twilight Time’ – Twilight Time hosta
Hosta x ‘Unbridled Passion’ – Unbridled Passion hosta
Russ O’Harra Hostas
Hosta x ‘Diva’ – Diva hosta
Hosta x ‘Feather Boa’ – Feather Boa hosta
Hosta x ‘Grimes Golden’ – Grimes Golden hosta
Hosta x ‘Ground Sulphur’ – Ground Sulphur hosta
Hosta x ‘Gypsy’s Boa’ – Gypsy’s Boa hosta
Hosta x ‘Janet’ – Janet hosta
Hosta x ‘Lime Shag’ – Lime Shag hosta
Hosta x ‘O’Harra’ – O’Harra hosta
Hosta x ‘Olive Bailey Langdon’ – Olive Bailey Langdon hosta
Hosta x ‘Plumb Bob’ – Plumb Bob hosta
Hosta x ‘Popo’ – Popo hosta
Hosta x ‘Quilting Bee’ – Quilting Bee hosta
Hosta x ‘Roderick’ – Roderick hosta
Hosta x ‘Rosanne’ – Rosanne hosta
Hosta x ‘Russell Lee’ – Russell Lee hosta
Hosta x ‘Shirley Levy’ – Shirley Levy hosta
Hosta x ‘Spun Sulphur’ – Spun Sulphur hosta
Hosta x ‘Taffeta’ – Taffeta hosta
Hosta x ‘Yellow Boa’ – Yellow Boa hosta
Frank Riehl Hostas
Hosta x ‘Popo’ – Popo hosta
Hosta x ‘Veronica Lake’ – Veronica Lake hosta
Ed Schulz Hostas
Hosta x ‘Enchanted Mist’ – Enchanted Mist hosta
Hosta x ‘Frilly Fantasy’ – Frilly Fantasy hosta
Hosta x ‘Green Lava’ – Green Lava hosta
Hosta x ‘Step Brother’ – Step Brother hosta
Jim Schwarz Hostas
Hosta x ‘Aloha’ – Aloha hosta
Hosta x ‘Bachelor Party’ – Bachelor Party hosta
Hosta x ‘Banana Muffins’ – Banana Muffins hosta
Hosta x ‘Cease Fire’ – Cease Fire hosta
Hosta x ‘Chocolate Mint’ – Chocolate Mint hosta
Hosta x ‘Cinderella’ – Cinderella hosta
Hosta x ‘Friar Tuck’ – Friar Tuck hosta
Hosta x ‘Frosted Mini-muffins’ – Frosted Mini-muffins hosta
Hosta x ‘Garden Treasure’ – Garden Treasure hosta
Hosta x ‘I’m So Blue’ – I’m So Blue hosta
Hosta x ‘I’m So Pretty’ – I’m So Pretty hosta
Hosta x ‘King John’ – King John hosta
Hosta x ‘Little John’ – Little John hosta
Hosta x ‘Lois’ – Lois hosta
Hosta x ‘Love You’ – Love You hosta
Hosta x ‘Maid Marian’ – Maid Marian hosta
Hosta x ‘Mary-Mary’ – Mary-Mary hosta
Hosta x ‘Merry Men’ – Merry Men hosta
Hosta x ‘Peanut’ – Peanut hosta
Hosta x ‘Pitch Black’ – Pitch Black hosta
Hosta x ‘Prince of Darkness’ – Prince of Darkness hosta
Hosta x ‘Robin Hood’ – Robin Hood hosta
Hosta x ‘Robin of Loxley’ – Robin of Loxley hosta
Hosta x ‘Royal Tapestry’ – Royal Tapestry hosta
Hosta x ‘Summer Storm’ – Summer Storm hosta
Hosta x ‘The King’ – The King hosta
Hosta x ‘Wet Crocodile’ – Wet Crocodile hosta
Ron Simmering Hostas
Hosta x ‘X-Ray’ – X-Ray hosta
Josh Spece Hostas
Hosta x ‘Country Confessions’ – Country Confessions hosta
Hosta x ‘Country Heartthrob’ – Country Heartthrob hosta
Hosta x ‘Country Livewire’ – Country Livewire hosta
Hosta x ‘Country Sun Drop’ – Country Sundrop hosta
John and Elizabeth Stratton Hostas
Hosta x ‘Blue Clown’ – Blue Clown hosta
Hosta x ‘Wylde Green Cream’ – Wylde Green Cream hosta
Jeff and Marie White Hostas
Hosta x ‘Dire Wolf’ – Dire Wolf hosta
Doyle Woods Hostas
Hosta x ‘Joy Adams’ – Joy Adams hosta
Other plants
Heuchera x ‘Raspberry Regal’ – Raspberry Regal Coralbells
Hosta x ‘Cynthia’ – Cynthia hosta
Hosta x ‘Harvest Glow’ – Harvest Glow hosta
Hosta x ‘Paul’s Glory’ – Paul’s Glory hosta
Hosta x ‘Sweet Home Chicago’
Tricyrtis hirta – Japanese toad lily
Athyrium niponicum – Japanese painted fern
Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegata’ – Variegated Solomon’s seal