H. ‘Northern Mystery’
Hosta ‘Northern Mystery’ is a registered cultivar () , originated by AHS, K. Walek.
| Year registered | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Registrant | AHS, K. Walek |
| Section class | I-7 (Giant) |
Last checked against the AHS registry:
Overview
'Northern Mystery' (2009) is a sport of 'Northern Mist', registered by the AHS with K. Walek. The leaf is broadly ovate and deeply corrugated, glaucous on both sides, with a center misted and mottled in green and white and a medium blue-green margin 2 in (5.1 cm) wide. The registrant's point of difference is specific: more white in the center and less green speckling than 'Northern Mist', especially in spring.
In the Garden
The plant is registered as semi-upright, 48 in (121.9 cm) across and 19 in high, with medium blue-green scapes of 20 to 30 in. The record gives no growth rate.
How it compares
'Northern Mist' (1988), the parent, is itself a sport of 'Elegans'. Its leaf is green speckled with dark green, without the blue margin, and the plant is registered taller and narrower at 36 by 30 in.
'Galaxy' (1987) belongs to the same show class. Its leaves are creamy yellow mottled with green and much longer and narrower (19 by 8 in), on a plant registered at 30 by 15 in.
'Transformer' (2009), a sport of a streaked 'Blue Angel', has a different pattern early on: a streaky creamy white center with a dark green margin of 1 to 3 in, on an upright clump registered at 54 by 28 in. Its record warns that the center starts turning green in mid-June and by mid-July nearly matches the edge, so it is a spring show; the 'Northern Mystery' entry describes no such change.
Flowers and other notes
The record lists near-white flowers and viable seed, but not how stable the mottling is. Its corrugated, glaucous leaves are described, but not how they hold up through the season. For general culture, see our hosta care guide.
Sources: AHS Registry records for 'Northern Mystery' (#4055), 'Northern Mist' (#4054), 'Galaxy' (#2005) and 'Transformer' (#5800), hostaregistrar.org.
Size and leaf
| Clump height | 19 in (48.3 cm) |
|---|---|
| Clump width | 48 in (121.9 cm) |
| Leaf length | 12 in (30.5 cm) |
| Leaf width | 10 in (25.4 cm) |
| Vein pairs | 17 |
| Leaf | misted and mottled green and white with 2in (5.1cm) wide, medium blue-green, slightly rippled margins; glaucous bloom on top; glaucous bloom underneath; deeply corrugated |
| Flower scape height | 20–30 in (50.8–76.2 cm) |
| Notable characteristics | more white in the leaf center and less green speckling (especially in spring) than H. 'Northern Mist' |
From the American Hosta Society Registry record.
Parentage
- Sport parent: Sport of H. 'Northern Mist' — H. ‘Northern Mist’
Similar cultivars
Other registered hostas in the same AHS section class (I-7, giant size):
- H. ‘Niagara on the Lake’ (2003)
- H. ‘Galaxy’ (1987)
- H. ‘Blue Blazes Splashed’ (2009)
- H. ‘Outrageous’ (2009)
- H. ‘Streaker Heaven’ (2009)
- H. ‘Cosmic Charmer’ (2010)
Related guides
Registration data: AHS Registry #4055. How we check this data.