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H. Phoenix Feathers

2022 Convention “Gift Hosta”

text and photos | Dan Wols Tinley Park Illinois

"I've always been a fan of yellow foliage. I was first drawn to yellow
Japanese maples, then conifers, and finally Hosta. Most of my
garden gets a lot of sun, or at least it did 20 years ago when I first
started planting it. In 2007, I decided to try a small shade garden on
the north side of my house. I was excited at the prospect of new
plants that I had not tried before. A few Japanese maples and
conifers were the bones, and then I added a few hostas, heuchera,
and several other shade plants. The hostas almost instantly,
completely, enamored me. It wasn't long before, during that first
season, many of the other shade plants got the boot. They were
quickly replaced by a decent-sized collection of hostas.

The winter of 2007 I grew some seeds from 'Blue Mammoth' and
was immediately hooked. The next year I spent a small fortune on
hosta seeds from "streakers" and picked up a couple of streaked
plants, as well. With decent success, I decided the following year,
that hybridizing would be my focus.

When I first started using plants with H. longipes in their heritage, my passion for yellow-leaved
plants made my first crosses with them an easy choice. H. ’Phoenix Feathers' is the result of a 2012
cross, (‘Harry van de Laar’ x ‘Sun Power’). It is a lutescent yellow that starts off a waxy chartreuse
early in the season. This quickly gives way to yellow which intensifies as the season progresses,
while keeping its nicely saturated red petioles. It is very fertile, as both a pod and pollen parent, and
has produced some very nice offspring. Like
‘Phoenix Feathers’, they all seem to enjoy some
sun for best color. I hope everyone enjoys this
plant in their gardens. It was one of my first
favorites, and I'm honored that the Minnesota
Hosta Society chose it as their gift plant for the
2022 convention.”

H. 'Phoenix Feathers' hybridized by Dan Wols
was the Hosta Vision 2022 gift hosta. It is a
medium sized, yellow ruffle-leaved hosta with
red petioles, lavender flowers and is fertile as
both a pod and pollen parent. Original clump
sent for TC was four years old and 14" tall by
28" wide.

The Online Hosta Journal | 39