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 This fast growing cultivar from
Japan was registered by
Jack Craig and
Alex J.
Summers of Delaware in 1986. The medium size (14 inches high by 44 inches wide) mound has moderately wavy
foliage that is dull on top and slightly shiny beneath. It bears
purple flowers from mid-August into September.
According to
The Hostapedia by
Mark Zilis (2009) this cultivar "...is commonly used for landscaping
due to its fast growth rate, good flower performance, and
attractive, white-margined foliage. In 1989
Peter Ruh of Ohio and I
found that it was the same as "Hakama Gibōshi", i.e. H. 'Helonioides
Albopicta'. Also, I suspect that a number of other listed
cultivars are the same plant, including 'Bunchōkō', 'Excalibur',
and 'Mr Asami Improved'...but
likely a sport of 'Helonioides'..."
Zilis also says, "For those
unfamiliar with hosta names, there is always a temptation to
correct "Ginko" to "Ginkgo",
like the tree. The only problem is that Ginko Craig is a
person, not a plant, and that is how her name is spelled."
 Ginko was Jack Craig's wife.
The Book of Little Hostas by Kathy and Michael Shadrack
(2010) says: "A good border plant and suitable as a groundcover."
 An article by Warren I. Pollock in
The
Hosta Journal (1991 Vol. 22 No. 1) states that, "The
name on the label was 'Bunchoku', but according to
W. George Schmid it should be
'Bunchoko'. This hosta looks like 'Ginko Craig'...H. 'Bunchoko' has dark purple
blooms much darker and more handsome than 'Ginko Craig'...I confirmed this
difference with our still blooming 'Ginko Craig' and also 'Princess of Karafuto'
which is a 'Ginko Craig' look-alike."
An article by Warren I. Pollock in
The
Hosta Journal (1992 Vol. 23 No. 1) states that, "In
spring 1991, visited Japan spending considerable time with hosta specialists. He
reports that in Japan, "our" 'Ginko Craig' is labeled
H. Helonioides 'Albo-Picta',
a variety described by Dr. Fumio Maekawa in his 1940 taxonomic monograph...this
hosta was received by Alex
Summers in 1969 from Jack Craig who was living in
Japan. ..Summers called it 'Ginko Craig' honoring Jack Craig's then wife...What
we have been growing as H. heloniodes 'Albo-picta' is actually
H. rhodeifolia...what
is the name of the hosta we have been calling H. rohdeifolia in the Western
world? It's 'Fortunei Gloriosa'..."
An article by Warren I. Pollock in
The
Hosta Journal (2004 Vol. 35 No.2) says, "If you've
examined the 2003 hosta registrations...you noticed that
Steven
Chamberlain...registered a handful of cultivars with "odd" names. Well, not odd
o Steve and other fanciers of
J.R.R. Tolkein's classic epic trilogy of novels,
The Lord of the Rings...All of Steve's
Academy Middle-Earth Series are
second generation (F2) open-pollinated seedlings of 'Ginko Craig'."
Hostas in
this series include:
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