Sue Scholz: Brother Stefan is 2017 Hosta of the Year

Hostas are one of the most favorite perennials. They are called the queen of the shade garden because they thrive in lowlight conditions and under trees. There are thousands of varieties available — from miniatures only a few inches tall to mammoth-sized hostas 4 feet tall. Though hostas are grown mostly for the foliage, their flowers attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.

Every year the American Hosta Growers Association’s awards a Hosta of the Year. This year the winning hosta is “Brother Stefan.” It is a large hosta with puckered, seersuckered leaves. At maturity it is 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide, but it may take up to seven years to reach its full potential. Don’t be surprised if the young hostas in stores do not look exactly like the adult hostas in photographs. They need time to grow up.

The AHGA’s hosta of the year is chosen for certain qualities: The hosta should grow well in all parts of the country, should have retail of no more than $20, be distinct and recognizable and should be widely available.

“Brother Stefan” was introduced in 1999 by hosta breeder Olga Petryszyn. It is a cross between the hostas "King Tut" and "Mildred Seaver." Olga Petryszyn is a famous hosta hybridizer from Indiana and is known as the Hosta Lady. She is one of the top 10 hosta breeders in the United States. So far she has created 23 hostas and grouped some of them in her "American Series" with names such as “Niagara Falls,” “Grand Canyon” and “Key West.” She named “Brother Stefan” after her brother as a present for his 50th birthday.

Brother Stefan has large, heavily puckered leaves with a golden center and wide blue-green edges. In early summer spikes of white flowers appear just above the leaves. The thick leaves help repel slugs and are not attractive to deer.

In 2013 Petryszyn received the Eunice Fisher Outstanding Hybridizer award by the American Hosta Society. She named this hosta as her favorite. Some people have said that it is the most spectacular hosta they have ever seen. Look for "Brother Stefan" in local garden centers this spring.

Past AHGA winners:

2016 Curly Fries

2015 Victory

2014 Abiqua Drinking Gourd

2013 Rainforest Sunrise

2012 Liberty

2011 Praying Hands

2010 First Frost

2009 Earth Angel

2008 Blue Mouse Ears

2007 Paradigm

2006 Stained Glass

2005 Striptease

2004 Sum and Substance

2003 Regal Splendor

2002 Guacamole

2001 June

2000 Sagae

1999 Paul's Glory

1998 Fragrant Bouquet

1997 Patriot

1996 So Sweet

Cleveland’s Home and Garden Show

The Great Big Home and Garden Show is open Friday to Feb. 12 at Cleveland's IX Center. See 16 gardens with movie themes such as Finding Dory, The Wizard of Oz, The Godfather and Mary Poppins. The show is located at Cleveland's IX Center, 1 I-X Center Dr., Cleveland, OH 44135. Cost: adults, $15; children 6 to 12, $5; children 5 and under, free. Seniors can pay $11 at the door Mondays through Thursdays. Visit greatbighomeandgarden.com to order adult tickets online to save $3. Call 440-248-5729.

TREC Medicinal Herb Series

Join trained Herbalist Leslie Alexander for a series of hands-on workshops, tours and lectures exploring the healing properties of plants, now until June.

Today’s workshops:

10 a.m. Getting started and creating a medicine chest

1 p.m. Medicinal herbs for aches, pains and joint stiffness

4 p.m. Wintertime blues: medicinal herbs for emotional well-being

Cost: each workshop is $25, or $65 for all three. All workshops will be held at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. To preregister, call Beth, 833-6050. To see other classes in the series visit www.GoNativeErie.com. For questions call Jen Salem at 835-3056 or email, trecgarden@hotmail.com.

Garden club meetings

• Fair View Garden Club, Friday, 11 a.m., 4601 Avonia Road, Fairview. Heidi Lutz, owner of The Juice Jar in Colony Plaza, will share how she created her business and how she uses vertical gardening in her store. Call Kathy Hayes, 836-8846.
• Gospel Hill Garden Club, Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m., Wesleyville Borough Hall, 3421 Buffalo Road. Members will create aluminum and copper garden markers. Bring items to use as garden stakes and a list of plants to label. Guests and new members are always welcome. Call Jane Hume, 899-5982.
• Heather Club of Edinboro, Feb. 7, 2 p.m., Edinboro Manor, 419 Waterford St., Edinboro. Members will assist the residents in creating a Valentine floral arrangement. Call Carol Klonicki, 397-8477.
• Waterford Garden Club, Feb. 7, 7 p.m., Asbury United Methodist Church, 23 W. Second St., Waterford. Members will create Valentine gifts to give to local shut-ins. Call Cindy Matta, 602-0866.
• Presque Isle Garden Club, Feb. 8, 10:30 a.m., Asbury United Methodist Church, 4703 W. Ridge Road. Master gardener Linda Williams will talk about spiders. Call Jan McLaughlin, 476-7259.

Sue Scholz is a member of the Presque Isle Garden Club. Send garden news to susan.m.scholz@gmail.com.