Hosta 'Invincible' 16 August 2025

 

Paul Aden - 1992

 

I have a friend, Christapher Dafoe who was the Vancouver arts reporter for the Globe and Mail. When he interviewed people I was there to take the portraits. I marvelled as to how he would sit with a celebrity. The celebrity would look at Dafoe’s face and just open up without Dafoe having to ask questions. By far he was the best reporter I ever worked with.
 

Some photographer may have a hidden talent. I have it. This is that during my intimate sessions (close to the face with a large camera) I ask questions that others would not.

In 1992 I travelled to Columbus, Ohio for my first American Hosta Society Convention. I photographed many of the hosta greats. One of them was a taciturn man called Paul Aden. His claim to fame at the time was a very large light green to yellow (depending on how much sun it gets) hosta called Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’.

We who collect hostas know that there are very few hostas that have fragrant flowers. This is why the species hosta, Hosta plantaginea is called the August Lily. Aden had introduced it in 1986. Aden had a habit of giving names to hostas introduced by others. His reputation was a not a good one.

I did ask the question. “Why is your hosta called Invincible? His answer was quick. “I named her after my mother-in-law.”

I have never been able to find someone in the hosta society to tell me why some hostas will have only one scape (stem) with flowers while others will have many. Invincible is most floriferous.