Why the obsession with food names?

by Bob Solberg, in the NEW Gossip

            It all sort of just happened, an innocent idea that got out of control. It started with trying something different, something fun, and became as addicting as potato chips. Hostas and food, the perfect combination.

            In the 1980’s there was an unwritten tradition to give hostas sports in the same parentage line similar names. Maybe the “Tiara Series” set the standard for this, I don’t know. I followed this formula when I named ‘September Sun’, a sport of ‘August Moon’, in 1985 and later when I named a sport of ‘Sea Fire’, ‘Saint Elmo’s Fire’.

            ‘Guacamole’, however, was a very special hosta, as we all now know, and I felt it needed a special name. I like to name hostas with two things in mind. First, the name has to look like the hosta, and ‘Guacamole’ certainly looks like, well guacamole. Secondly, the name should connect with hosta collectors in some other positive personal way. Here I thought I might be taking a risk. Some people love guacamole but others will never touch the stuff. The name however fit the colors of the plant so well, and it was a one word name, (one word names are always best, that is why celebrities shorten their names to a single word or even single letter), so I decided to go with it. Besides, I love guacamole.

             Two fine sports of ‘Guacamole’ appeared almost immediately and also required names. Going back to the standard of the day, they too got food names, ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’, (remember the movie), and ‘Fried Bananas’, (to go with the guacamole). The plants and the names were widely accepted and I began to become associated with food names. When ‘Stained Glass’ was named by Hans Hansen, the “food chain” was broken but I continued undeterred by registering ‘Tortilla Chip’ and then to wash it all down, ‘Frozen Margarita’. Others then added ‘Avocado’ and ‘Salsa’ to the line. Things had gotten out of my control by this time.  

            As the food connection grew with my hosta names, hosta collectors began to collect “food hostas” and have “kitchen” hosta gardens. My seedlings now began to have food names and I found that hosta collectors love food as much as they love hostas. I now feel obliged to name at least one new food hosta every year to meet collectors demand. This year we have ‘Blueberry Cobbler’, one of my favorites, (I like the hosta, too), and ‘Beet Salad’, that reminds me of good times and good friends in Minnesota.

            Somewhere along the line, I have become associated with all food names, which can be embarrassing. I have given food names to some of my good friend Mark Zilis’ hostas, like ‘Pineapple Upsidedown Cake’, ‘Cookie Crumbs’, ‘Bread Crumbs’ and ‘Christmas Cookies’. (I do like sweets!) The names are mine but I can take no credit for the plants, although I must admit I do occasionally claim the “crumbs”.  There are now many other hosta hybridizers that see the value in naming hostas after food and frequently hosta folks tell me how much they like these plants, thinking I produced them.  Some I wish I had.

            When food names started to get a little old, I moved on to drinks with ‘Whiskey Sour’, again because it looks like a whiskey sour to me. Collectors followed by opening “bar” gardens. I do have ‘Frozen Margarita’ but there are other drink names on the market by other hybridizers, so I don’t have to completely fall off the wagon. Last year, I went health food crazy and named ‘Lime Smoothie’ and ‘Strawberry Banana Smoothie’, both of which were very well received.

            Not all my hostas get food names. Sometimes, something else just works better. My new “Longianas” will all have rainstorm names because of their blue color. (There are only so many blue foods that are really appetizing.) Food, however, does seem to be on my mind frequently, and somehow our exclusive club hosta this year got named ‘Sno Cone’. It is perfect on a hot summer day. I really do not mind being associated with food names, things could be worse, like being responsible for some of those names of the sports of ‘Striptease’. In the end, I think all hosta people were food people first. Now what’s for lunch?

My hostas that may make you hungry!

‘Beet Salad’, ‘Blueberry Cobbler’, ’Blueberry Tart’, ‘Coconut Custard’,  ‘Corkscrew’, ‘Cracker Crumbs’, ‘Crumb Cake’, ‘Curly Fries’, ‘Fried Bananas’,  ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’,  ‘Frozen Margarita’, ‘Ginsu Knife’,  ‘Guacamole’,  ‘Orange Marmalade’, ‘Snow Cone’, ‘Spinach Soufflé’, ‘Strawberry Banana Smoothie’, ‘Tortilla Chip’, ‘Twist of Lime’, and ‘Whiskey Sour’