I really love miniatures. What is the smallest Hosta I can find?

I had Cameo but it died.

The smallest one that I had was 'Teeny-weeny Bikini'. Also died, but only after the squirrels dug it out of a pot last year. I've ordered another and will try to keep this one going.

But it might be important to differentiate between "smallest" and those that just fail to thrive. TWB grew quite well until it was done in. The smallest that I still have is 'Tears of Joy' - it's sort of like a real mini 'Praying Hands' and solid green. While the plant stays really small, it thrives and the clump is now4-5 inches wide.

I also have 'Cameo' but put it into the category of those that just fail to thrive. Mine has 3 leaves this year. Woohoo! That's more than last year.

Others that are growing well for me and keep very small leaves are 'Green Eyes' and 'Tiny Tears' and 'Kinbotan'.

I do not think my Teeny-weeny Bikini came back this year.

I'm putting my minis in pots and then putting them in the ground. We have moles that tend to push the whole plant out of the ground. So far it seems to be working out. Only lost Lakeside Zing Zang in my mini collection this spring, but it wasn't doing very well last year. My smallest one is Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Rose

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Those look good, I really need to spread mine out! I just happen to have a new raised bed, but I prefer a more natural looking mini garden like yours.

I have thumblina and she's doing good
they are so much fun
happy gardening

Thanks carenjean! What zone are you in? Does Thumblina tolerate any heat?

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Sure is pretty!

Beautiful Hosta patch, Paul.

I live in zone 5 and my dear little thumblina is planted under a tree in the shade gets filtered sun light in the am but
tried others and they didn't make it
would not give it a lot of sun
have a friend who planted some too and all of hers died but they got morning sun
hope that helps

Currently editing the latest round of pics. Here are some of my minis. BTW, I'm bored silly with the entire "Mouse Ears" family. Not stable, and many of them look like others in the family. Last winter I left the large planter with the family in my porch. I managed to lose a few of them and stunt others and except for 'Country Mouse' from a different family which I had meant to dig out and plant in the garden, I don't really care about the losses.

Anyway, on to other minis.

'Baby Bunting' is a fast growing, but very small blue mini. I now have 3 plants of it, but this one is the most vigorous.


'Blue Cadet' is officially a "mini" and I don't really understand why. I'd put it in the category of small. It's a lot larger than the above hosta, grows enthusiastically in this dark space where many hostas have failed. It makes a large mound quickly, but I've been training it into a border.


'Cherish' - did I mention that this one doe NOT thrive for me? But wait, I think I see a 4th leaf coming. Part of the 'Baby Bunting' family


'Cameo' - another of the 'Baby Bunting' family is a lot more vigorous than 'Cherish'.


'Cracker Crumbs' is a vigorous mini which is bright yellow with a tiny green border when it emerges. It gradually green up. This one is also being trained into a border.

I must not be very sophisticated or not have very good taste as i like my Mouse Ears. Isn't it nice that we don't all need to like the same thing. I have grown Cameo, Cherish and Pandora's Box and I like them but they have not lived very long in my garden. I've deleted the post about the boring Mouse Ears

'Dragon Tails' has very small leaves and is fairly enthusiastic. This one is hard to photograph.


'Hands Up' - a 2nd year plant, a sport of 'Praying Hands'. For both of these plants, refer to the plastic knife being used as a marker for size.


'Dixie Chickadee' I've had a couple of years and it remains small.


'Green Eyes' is a couple of years old and growing well. I just moved it out of a pot it was sharing with 'Tiny Tears' (which threatened to overwhelm it) and I've divided over 1/3 of it for a friend.


'Illicit Affair' has not yet developed the characteristic colouring, maybe because we've had so much rain this year. But this one has grown well for me. When I last divided it 2 years ago, I replanted it in 3 groups which gives the appearance of a larger plant than is actually there.


I'll have more later, but the images are not yet cropped.

Very nice Ann! I love those, I had the opposite problem. Cherish did well and the Cameos died. I would like another but not sure. I love cracker crumbs and green eyes especially.

Paul,

I wouldn't consider your Mouse Ears boring. We all have our favorites, and I enjoy looking at everybody's gardens. I have a large selection of the Mouse family and even though they may look a lot alike I keep buying the new ones! Your pictures are always enjoyed (and envied!) . If the mosquitoes and gnats ever leave me alone, I might be able to get some pictures of mine before they start to wilt from the summer heat.

Rose

Paul, I certainly didn't mean my comment about the Mouse Ears Family to be directed to yours and I hope you didn't take it that way. If you did, I'm sorry and please feel free to add it again.

Just for me personally, I'm tired of a whole family of plants that mostly look the same and are notoriously unstable. YMMV widely. I DO like BME itself and I've ordered another solid colour, but ruffly one of the family, but I'm no longer trying to get them all because I can't tell the difference between most of them. And this year 'Snow Mouse' has totally reverted to blue. 'Cat and Mouse' did it a long time ago.

Anyway, I've finished editing my pictures and here are some more minis.

'Grand Prize' is somewhat smaller than 'Grand Tiara'. I've only had it a couple of years and it was only planted in earth last autumn.


'Kifukurin Ko Mame' is one of my favourite edgers. A fast-growing, little plant, I have it in 4 locations and have had it for a very long time. It's hard to find now unless you find someone like me who will share (in Canada only though).


'Kinbotan' is another fast grower. Now in it's 3rd season with me. I divided it all up when I planted it in the ground last autumn and it will take awhile to fill in.


'Lemon Frost' is a fast grower. I've got quite a long border of it, though some parts of that border are still being filled in.


'Limey Lisa' is, I believe, classified as a mini. It forms a very dense mound and when I divided it a couple of years ago, I replanted what I didn't sell in individual eyes which have formed a thick mat.


'Little Red Rooster' - nice wavy leaves with red legs. Fertile too. I have quite a nice seedling from this one.

Wascally wabbit.