Identifying plants is always a challenge. Some, like hosta, have hundreds of varieties.

Judy Burns, from the Georgia Hosta Society, sends this note:

“At the hosta show last weekend I had a number of folks tell me that they would LIKE to enter their hosta in the show, if only they knew the names!

I’d like to share a resource that is free for you to use to help you identify them. It is the Hosta Library.

The site has many wonderful photos of hosts, many including photos of the bloom, which are critical in the identification of hostas.

A suggestion is to take digital photos of your hostas while they are blooming. Then you can have the information you need to identify your plants. Make a map and number the plantings so you will have a permanent record. You might want to take a closeup of the leaf, and note the color of the back side of the leaf, too. Count the veins, too, as sometimes that makes a difference. Good descriptions are available with most of the photos.

Just a thought. This is a good project that can get you through the long winter months.”