American Hosta Society
Author: Jerry Van Der Kolk
The American Hosta Society (AHS) is a charitable organization that is devoted to the appreciation, study, protection and improvement of the hosta plant. In return for donations and membership fees they also provides general and scientific knowledge of hosta plants. The organization recognized by the US Government as a not-for-profit educational and scientific organization and has been granted 501(c(3) status. This means that if you decide to join, your donation is tax deductible.
The American Hosta Society also has a board of directors that delegate certain projects and activities to specific committees. The results of these projects and activities area are consequently published in their publication called The Journal of the American Hosta Society.
As there are many diseases and problems with hostas as well as a lot of confusion about their trademark and breeding a lot of the money that is given to the society goes into scientifically based projects. For instance their latest funded study in 1999 was given to two scientists to study garden control of pathogenic foliar nematodes.
Other worthy scientific projects commissioned by them include a study from Michigan State University to study how cold affects hostas, a study from Penn State University to examine slugs that damage hostas, another study form Penn State University about the best fertilizers for hostas, and a University of Minnesota study on viruses that affect hostas.
The Hosta Journal of the American Hosta Society is widely regarded as one of the best specialty publications about the subject in North America. The Journal is a mixture of practical gardening articles, information about new sports articles as well as scientific articles about the care and breeding of hostas. The Journal is now printed three times a year down form its usual publication schedule so that it can afford to print more color photographs in the magazine instead of the usual black and white.
They also produce an annual E-Yearbook and Membership director which is dedicated to the business and the people of the American Hosta Society. It also features articles up the activities of local
societies, upcoming events to do with hostas, upcoming events that are specific to the society and their annual reports about its profitability.
The American Hosta Society also provides an opportunity for you to meet other hosta enthusiasts via some of the events or just browsing the membership directory to see if anyone lives in your area. If this isn’t enough fun during the cold winter months just remember you have the exceptional articles and mouth watering pictures in each issue of the Hosta Journal!