Hosta Introductions and Breeding by Paul Aden

Hosta Introductions and Breeding by Paul Aden

By Published January 05, 2011 Updated May 18, 2022

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Without a doubt, the late Paul Aden of Baldwin, NY is the king of commercial hostas. Regardless of whether Aden bred the hosta, or acquired it from others, Aden knew a good garden variety when he saw it. I thought it would be interesting to assemble a list of Aden's own hybrids, created from the registration records. This list does not include plants that we know Aden acquired from others.

Please note that a number of the plants in the trade do not match Aden's original description. Whether another plant was later substituted by Aden using the original name, or the original plant was lost in the production stream is unclear. Unfortunately, Aden was quite secretive to the point of refusing to discuss or attempt to clarify these confusions. All we have to go on is this historic account of his breeding, as based on the registration forms that he filled out himself. I hope this will be of some help to prospective hostas breeders.

*denotes fragrance

1974

Blue Cadet (#359) 1974 (tokudama hybrid)/blue
Gold Cadet (#381) 1974 (unknown)/gold
Gold Regal (#392) 1974 (unknown)/gold
Sun Glow 1974 (#370) (Aspen Gold x self)/gold

1976

270 is Beatrice or sdg/#275 is sieboldiana type gold
Blue Fan Dancer 1976 (tokudama hybrid)/blue Blue Heaven 1976 (Blue Cadet x 355)/blue
Blue Velvet 1976 (tokudama hybrid x tokudama hybrid)/blue
Blue Vision 1976 (355 x 353)/blue
Bold Ribbons 1976 (unknown)/white edge
Chartreuse Wedge 1976 (Green Wedge x self)/green
Chartreuse Wiggles 1976 (Wogon hybrid)/gold
Golden Prayers 1976 (381 x Golden Waffles)/gold
Golden Rajah 1976 (Aspen gold hyb x tokud. aureonebulosa sdg)/gold
Golden Ruffles 1976 (Gold Cadet 381 x 388)/gold
Golden Waffles 1976 (Gold Cadet 381 x 388)/gold
Green Wedge 1976 (nigrescens x ?)/green
High Fat Cream 1976 (270 x 275)/gold streaked
Peek A Boo 1976 (Tokudama Aureonebulosa x 355)/blue
Resonance 1976 (270 x 275)/white edge
Wahoo 1976 (Tokudama Aureonebulosa x Tokudama Flavocircinalis)/strk
Yellow Splash 1976 (270 x 275)/streaked

1977

Blue Tiers 1977 (tokudama hybrid x tokudama hybrid)/blue

1978

Blue Umbrellas 1978 (tokudama hybrid x sieboldiana elegans)/blue
Big Daddy 1978 (robusta variegated mutation)/blue
Big Mama 1978 (Blue Tiers x Blue Angel)/blue
Blue Whirls 1978 (hybrid x Blue Vision)/blue
Bold One 1978 (robusta variegated x Green Gold)/streaked
Celebration 1978 (378 x 322)/white center
City Lights 1978 (White Vision x Golden Prayers)
Debutante 1978 (Wahoo x Flamboyant)/streak
Estelle Aden 1978 (Golden Waffles x Gold Cup)/gold
Fascination 1978 (Flamboyant x High Fat Cream)/streaked
Flamboyant 1978 (X Ray treatment gold sdg)/streaked
Floradora 1978 (nakaiana x longipes hybrid)/green
Flow Swirls 1978 (Flamboyant x High Fat Cream)/streaked
Gala 1978 (tardiflora x self)/green w/gold edge
Gene Summers 1978 (Flamboyant x Intrigue)/streaked
Gold Cup 1978 (tokudama aureonebulosa x Golden Prayers)/gold
Gold Edger 1978 (Blue Cadet x self)/gold
Gold Pan 1978 (Golden Waffles x Gold Cup)/gold
Green Sheen 1978 (Green Wedge x Chartreuse Wedge)/green
Halo 1978 (Flamboyant x Estelle Aden)/gold w/cream margin
Intrigue 1978 (Flamboyant x High Fat Cream)/streaked
Jambalaya 1978 (Flamboyant x High Fat Cream)/streaked
Julia Hardy 1978 (tokudama x Big Mama)/blue
Ledi lantis 1978 (Gold Cup x Golden Waffles)/gold
Little Aurora 1978 (Tokudama Aureonebulosa x Golden Waffles)/gold
Love Pat 1978 (Blue Velvet x Blue Vision)/blue

Midas Touch 1978 (Gold Cup x Golden Waffles)/gold

Neat Splash 1978 (Yellow Splash x fortunei robusta hybrid)/streak
Reversed 1978 (sieboldiana hybrid mutation)/white center
Royal Rainbow 1978 (Bold One x Flamboyant)/streaked
Serendipity 1978 (Blue Cadet x tokudama)/blue
Squiggles 1978 (Yellow Splash x Neat Splash)/streaked
Swoosh 1978 (Yellow Splash x Neat Splash)/streaked
Tot Tot 1978 (Blue Cadet x venusta)/blue
True Blue 1978 (Chartreuse Wedge x (nigrescnes x Blue Vision)/blue
White Colossus 1978 (Bold One x Flamboyant)/white center
White Magic 1978 (White Christmas x Flamboyant)/white center
White Vision 1978 (Sun Glow x Gold Cup)/gold
Yellow Waves 1978 (Wogon x Chartreuse Wiggles)/gold
Zounds 1978 (Golden Waffles x Golden Prayers)/gold

1979
Green Fountain 1979 (Green Wedge x longipes)/green
Ground Master 1979 (Yellow Splash x Neat Splash)/white margin
True Love 1979 (Blue Vision x True Blue)/blue
Wide Brim 1979 (Bold One x Bold Ribbons)/white margin

1980
Amy Aden 1980 (Fascination x High Fat Cream)/chartr w/white edge

Bravo 1980 (Reversed x Fascination)/white,chartreuse,streaked
Citation 1980 (Vicky Aden x ?)/gold w/white edge
Color Fantasy 1980 (Gala hybrid)/cream, chartreuse, green
Color Glory 1980 (Fascination x Intrigue)/streaked
Garden Magic 1980 (Intrigue x sibling)/steaked
Loleta Powell 1980 (Fascination x Intrigue)/streaked
Look See 1980 (Royal Rainbow sdg)/streaked
Love Joy 1980 (Fascination sdg)/streaked
Snow Cap 1980 (Wide Brim x Royal Rainbow)/white margin
Splish Splash 1980 (Fascination x Intrigue)/streaked
Sum and Substance 1980 (unknown)/chartreuse
Sunshine Kid 1980 (Fascination x High Fat Cream)/streaked
Vicki Aden 1980 (Flamboyant sdg)/streaked
Whoopee 1980 (Flamboyant x Fascination)/streaked

1982
Color Accord 1982 (Fascination x ?)/green, chartreuse streaked
Comeuppance 1982 (Vicky Aden x Fascination)/streaked
Counter Point 1982 (Francee hybrid) streaked w/ white margin
Double Edge 1982 (Flamboyant x Fascination)/green w/white margin
*Fragrant Bouquet 1982 (Fascination x Fragrant Summer)/streaked
*Fragrant Candelabra 1982 (Fragrant Bouquet hybrid)/streaked
Fragrant Gold 1982 (Sum and Substance hybrid)/gold
*Fragrant Tot 1982 (Amy Aden hybrid)/streaked
Jim Cooper 1982 (Sum and Substance hybrid)/gold
Mikado 1982 (montana Aureo-marginata x Big Sam)/green
Rock Master 1982 (venusta hybrid)/blue
Shade Beauty 1982 (sdg x Golden Tardiana)/gold w/white edge
Shade Master 1982 (White Vision x Golden Rajah)/gold
Shining Tot 1982 (venusta x Rock Master)/green
Thumb Nail 1982 (venusta hybrid)/green

1983
Blessings 1983 (yellow tardiana hybrid)/gold w/ white margin
Blue Line 1983 (412 x pulchella mutation)/blue
Dixie Joy 1983 (Gala x Halo)/gold w/green flecks
*Shallmar 1983 (Fragrant Bouquet x Fragrant Candelabra)/gold w/white

1986
Blue Angel 1986 (365 x 361)/blue

Bright Glow 1986 (380 x 382)/gold
Brim Cup 1986 (392 x Wide Brim)/white edge
Daybreak 1986 (unknown Japan)/gold
Fall Bouquet 1986 (322 x 324)/green
Gaiety 1986 (421 x Blessings)/gold w/white margin
Grand Master 1986 (unknown)/white edge
*Invincible 1986 (314 x 802)/green
Just So 1986 (421 x Little Aurora)/gold w/green edge
Knockout 1986 (unknown)/white edge
Lights Up 1986 (519 x Chartreuse Wiggles)/gold
Pizzazz 1986 (unknown)/white edge
Shade Fanfare 1986 (Flamboyant sport)/gold w/white edge
*So Sweet 1986 (Fragrant Bouquet x 462)/cream edge
Spritzer 1986 (349 x Green Fountain)/gold w/green edge
Sun Power 1986 (217 x 219)/gold
Vanilla Cream 1986 (456 x Little Aurora)/gold
White Charger 1986 (614 x 618)/green

1987
Green Line 1987 (Just So x Little Aurora)/gold
High Kicker 1987 (pycnophylla hybrid)/green
Peace 1987 (Blue Hugger x Love Pat)/white margin
*Sassy 1987 (Art Shane x Invincible)/white edge
*Showtime 1987 (Fragrant Bouquet x Fragrant Candelabra)/white margin
Sitting Pretty 1987 (Reiko x Amy Aden)/gold w/green margin
Sparky 1987 (Amy Aden x pulchella)/green w/yellow margin
Stiletto 1987 (Amy Aden x pulchella variegated)/green w/white edge
Two Step 1987 (Embroidery x Aden 341)/green w/yellow edge



1988

Excitation 1988 (Citation mutation)/gold

*Fragrant Blue 1988 (8413 x 8270)/blue
*Sweetie 1988 (Fragrant Bouquet x Fragrant Candelabra)/white edge

1990
Abba Alive 1990 (81-B1 x 83-B4)/white margin
Abba Aloft 1990 (Sun Power Sport)/green center w/gold edge
Abba At Large 1990 (Sun Power Sport) gold center w/green edge
Abba Blue Plus 1990 (81-B1 x 82-B5)/white margin
Abba Fit 1990 (81-B3 x 83-B4)/white margin
*Abba Fragrant Cloud 1990 (80-F3 x 78-F5)/white margin
Abba Little Showoff 1990 (Amy Aden x 78-Y2)/chartreuse w/green edge
Abba Nova 1990 (78-G5 x 80-B2)/white margin
Abba Spellbinder 1990 (77-B6 x 79-B1)/blue w/chartreuse margin
Abba Tops 1990 (77-G4 x 78-G3)/green w/white edge



In 2010, after Paul Aden's death, the American Hosta Society published a list of Aden's previously unpublished introductions below.

Abba Diana Reeck
Abba Double Header Abba Flower Mound
Abba Fragrance Backscratcher
Abba Irresistible
Abba Ready
Abba Rough
Abba Soul Mate
Abba Windows
Andrew Dennis
Blonde Elf
Blue Mammoth
Blue seer
Blue Veil
Bright Lights
Chartreuse Waves
Cheesecake
Embroidery
Fresh
Fringe Benefit

Gene’s Joy

Gold Seer
Groo Blue
Hoopla
Piecrust Power
Pixie Power
Samurai
Shenanigans
Shogun
Super Bowl
Tet-A-Poo
White Edger

The following remain unregistered as of 2010

Abba Alight
Abba Allegro
Abba Blue Prayers
Abba Lilian Cannon
*Abba Fragrant Century
*Abba Fragrant Cloud
*Abba Fragrant High
*Abba Fragrant Lights
Abba Rainbow
Abba Soulmate
Abba White
Abba Windows
Center Island

 

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