Kuk's Forest Nursery

Review of Kuk's Forest Nursery
January 1998
by Steven C. Chamberlain
105 Academy Street
Manlius, NY 13104
Steve_Chamberlain@isr.syr.edu

Kuk's Forest Nursery
10174 Barr Road
Brecksville, OH 44141-3302
Phone (216) 546-2675 (evenings)
FAX (216) 546-2675
Price List - $2.00

Owners: Bob Kuk, Member, AHS

In the past, I have bought the following hostas from Kuk's Forest Nursery:

• H. 'Abiqua Moonbeam'
• H. 'Alpine Aire'
• H. 'Amber Maiden'
• H. 'Bizarre'
• H. 'Blue Moon'
• H. 'Blue Splendor'
• H. 'Brother Ronald'
• H. capitata
• H. 'Carol'
• H. 'Carrie Ann'
• H. 'Chinese Sunrise'
• H. 'Cordelia'
• H. 'Craig's Temptation'
• H. 'Decorata'
• H. 'Don Stevens'
• H. 'Ellen'
• H. 'Elsley'
• H. 'Fool's Gold'
• H. 'Fortunei Aoki'
• H. 'Fortunei Aurea'
• H. 'Fortunei Gigantea'
• H. 'Fortunei Robusta'
• H. 'Gold Regal'
• H. 'Golden Spades'
• H. 'Gray Cole'
• H. 'Heliarc'
• H. 'Herifu'
• H. 'Joseph'
• H. 'Lancifolia'
• H. 'Lancifolia Thunbergiana'
• H. 'Leather Sheen'
• H. 'Misty Morning'
• H. 'Moonlight'
• H. 'Mount Royal'
• H. nakiana
• H. 'North Hills'
• H. 'Paul Bunyan'
• H. 'Pollyanna'
• H. 'Peedee Absinth'
• H. 'Queen Josephine'
• H. 'Raspberry Sorbet'
• H. 'Razzle Dazzle'
• H. 'Sea Fire'
• H. 'Silverado'
• H. 'Snow Flakes'
• H. 'Snow White'
• H. 'Sugar Plum Fairy'
• H. 'Summer Music'
• H. 'Tenryu'
• H. tibae
• H. 'Van Wade'
• H. ventricosa 'Aureomaculata'
• H. 'Wagtail'
• H. 'Yellow River'
• H. 'Zager Green Rim'

These orders also resulted in my receiving the following hostas as BONUS PLANTS: H. 'August Moon', H. 'Bill Brincka', H. 'El Capitan', H. 'Golden Empress', H. 'Granary Gold', H. 'Mary Marie Ann', and H. 'Regal Chameleon'. You will note that my orders have been a mix of very old cultivars and relatively new introductions. The older cultivars I wanted for reference, and I ordered from Kuk's Forest Nursery because by reputation and personal experience, I believe Bob Kuk really knows what he has. I just mailed my order for 1998.

Some of the hostas shipped by Kuk's are divisions of adult clumps (labeled 'originator's stock' in the price list) and some are grown on, tissue-cultured plants (not labeled). All are large, adult divisions. The plants were shipped bare root and were in fine condition upon arrival. Every Kuk's Forest Nursery hosta I have purchased is thriving in the garden.

The 1998 Plant List has 46 pages typed and mimeographed (or xeroxed) on bright yellow paper. There are 39 pages of alphabetical hosta listings that include 423 species and cultivars. In addition there are 7 pages of special collections largely organized by hybridizer: Kuk's Forest collection-24 cultivars; Anne Arett collection-3 cultivars; Pauline Banyai collection-5 cultivars; Dorothy and Herb Benedict collection-14 cultivars; Clarence and Marge Soules collection -2 cultivars; David Stone collection-7 cultivars; Eunice Fisher Collection-6 cultivars; Ken Anderson collection-7 cultivars; Kevin Vaughn collection-10 cultivars; William and Eleanor Lachman collection-8 cultivars; Nancy and Eldren Minks collection-7 cultivars; Larry Englerth collection-4 cultivars; Eric Smith collection-20 cultivars; Mildred Seaver collection-11 cultivars; Robert and Dennis Savory collection-14 cultivars; a fragrant hosta collection-24 cultivars; and finally a species collection with 20 species (somewhat loosely defined). This is a good place to get 24 of Kuk's Forest introductions from the original source. In addition there are a few listings for hostas not available from any source listed in the 1997 Hosta Finder: H. 'Aristocrat', H. 'Bold Ribbons Splashed', H. kogashi yam fukurin (Lantis), and H. 'Limey Lisa'. Originator's stock is available for a number of very desirable cultivars. There are no illustrations in the plant list itself, but the individual species and cultivars are well described. Newer cultivars, and Kuk's own introductions are described in greater detail. This is a major retail supplier of hostas.

Prices tend to be below the Hosta Finder's average price for older cultivars but at, or higher than, the average price for newer cultivars. In part this is because Kuk's tissue cultured plants are relatively large compared to many offered in the trade and because some of the cultivars offered are adult divisions of originator's stock. I recommend you get the price list and read what is really being offered before deciding upon a source solely based on price. The most expensive hosta I found on the list was originator's stock of Mildred Seaver's H. 'Sea Prize' for $200. There are many good cultivars for $5. Some cultivars are available in lots of 10 plants for prices between $2 and $3.50 each with even larger discounts for larger orders. If you need 100 H. 'Lancifolia' you can get them for $1.60 each. The special collection offers give you a 20% to 30% discount from the individual cultivar prices. Orders are processed quickly, acknowledged, and charged at the time the order is placed for credit card orders. Plants are shipped promptly by UPS on or about the date requested. The order form asks whether substitutions can be made, whether you would like your plants rossized, and whether you would like the foliage trimmed back. The substitution list typically is the source of bonus plants. When I have allowed Bob Kuk to substitute, he has sent me some really interesting plants that I might not have ordered, but that I loved once I got them. When I have asked him to call me before substitution, that worked well also.

All of the plants I have received from Kuk's Forest Nursery have been true to form so far as I can determine. In one order, one plant was missing (H. 'Banyai's Dancing Girl' @$10.00). Although Bob Kuk wanted to send me the plant, I was so overwhelmed by the quality of the higher-priced substitutions he had made in the order, that I told him not to bother because I had already purchased one from a local nursery forgetting that I had it on order.

I should mention that two of Bob Kuk's introductions, H. 'Queen Josephine' and H. 'Joseph' are among my favorite hosta cultivars.

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