Ed Elslager (1924-2005), a Michigan resident, was a scientist by profession and a hosta lover supreme. Demonstrating excellent skills in growing hosta around his home next to a lake, Ed wasn’t satisfied with the state of hosta. Under a wonderful vision, Ed set about organizing a group of individuals interested in hybridizing. Thus the Hosta Hybridizers Group was born. The Hosta Science Journal was also a creation of Ed’s. Ed Elslager registered over 240 cultivars, including both the first and the last on the registration list. Members of the Hosta Hybridizers Group, now renamed the Ed Elslager Hybridizer Society, have named and dedicated this seedling contest in his honor and memory.
