Hosta--Plantain Lily

Michigan State University Extension
Ornamental Plants plus Version 3.0 - 00000734
11/12/99

Hosta--Plantain Lily

Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Height: 2 ft Spread: 2 ft
Type: herbaceous perennial
Flowers: Purple, white

Comments: The various species and cultivars of Hosta are
useful in the shade and may be used as a ground cover.
Both the foliage and flowers are ornamental as some types
have variegated foliage. Flowering is reduced in deep
shade although the plants grow well. Hosta also grows in
sun but some variegated types may scorch. The plants are
at their best in partial shade. The best soil is moist
and contains a good amount of organic matter. Remove the
flowers as they fade to prevent the growth of undesirable
volunteer plants. When planting, set the crown just below
the soil surface.

Propagation: Division may be done in early spring or fall.
If seed is produced, it grows readily if planted
immediately after it ripens. Seed germinates in 15 to 20
days at 70 degrees. Plants started from seed bloom the
second year but may differ from the plant that produced
them. Commercial growers are using tissue culture to
produce new plants.

Cultivars: The list below contains various species and
hybrids of hosta.
'Abba Dabba Do' - Dark green, lance-shaped leaves have
gold margins. The flowers are pale lavender.
'Abba Irresistible' - Cream colored leaves have margins
of blue and green, lavender flowers, 2 feet tall.
'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' - Round, cupped, bluish-green
leaves, 16 inches tall.
'Abiqua Moonbeam' - Yellow foliage, lavender flowers,
plants 18 inches tall.
'Albo-marginata' (H. undulata) - Clumps of 2-foot tall
plants have green leaves with white margins and
lavender flowers.
'Albo-picta' (H. fortunei) - Yellow-green foliage has a
dark green margin but turns all green by summer. The
24-inch plants form a dense mound and produce white
flowers.
'Allan P. McConnell' - The leaves have white margins,
lavender flowers, plants 13 inches tall.
'Amber Tiara' - Gold foliage and purple and white
flowers.
'Antioch' - These 2-foot tall plants produce lavender
flowers and leaves that are mottled light green and
have creamy white edges.
'Aphrodite' (H. plantaginea) - Plants 2 feet tall
produce fragrant, double white flowers.
'Aqua Velva' - Two-foot tall plants produce a mound of
corrugated blue foliage and large, lavender flowers.
'Aristocrat' - Bluish leaves have pale yellow margins
that become white with age. The flowers are pale
lavender.
'August Moon' - Large, rounded leaves are gold all
summer. The flowers are white with a hint of
lavender. The plant is 12 to 24 inches tall (Vis. 1).
'Aureo-marginata' (H. fortunei)- These 24-inch plants
(Vis. 2) have dark green leaves edged with yellow. The
flowers are lilac purple.
'Aureo-marginata' (H. montana) - Large leaves have wide
yellow margins. The 3-foot tall plants produce white
flowers (Vis. 11).
'Aureo-marginata' (H. ventricosa) - This 2-foot tall
plant produces shiny, dark green leaves that have a
creamy yellow to creamy white, irregular border. The
flowers are purple.
'Aureo-nebulosa' (H. tokudama) - The cupped and
puckered leaves have a blue-green margin flushed with
yellow. This slow-growing plant reaches a height of
about 2 feet and produces white flowers.
'Aurora Borealis' - Bluish-green leaves have yellow
margins, white flowers, plants 24 inches tall.
'Austin Dickinson' - Bluish-green leaves have wide, white
margins. Purple and white flowers.
'Big Daddy' - A large, 3-foot tall plant with round,
blue leaves that are very puckered. The flowers are
white.
'Birchwood Parky's Gold' - Plants 14 inches tall have
chartreuse leaves and lavender flowers.
'Blonde Elf' - A dwarf, 12 inches tall, with gold
leaves and lavender flowers.
'Blue Angel' - A 4-foot tall plant with very blue
leaves and white flowers.
'Blue Arrow' - Bluish foliage, lavender flowers, plant 16
inches tall.
'Blue Blazes' - Round, crinkled, blue leaves.
'Blue Boy' - A small plant, 12 inches or less tall,
with bluish leaves and white flowers.
'Blue Cadet' - Heart-shaped, blue-green leaves and
lavender blossoms are produced by plants about 15
inches tall.
'Blue Diamond' - Intense blue foliage is combined with
lavender flowers on plants about 19 inches tall.
'Blue Dimples' - Thick, blue leaves and pale lavender
flowers are produced on 14-inch plants.
'Blue Eyes' - Blue-gray leaves, plants only 10 inches
tall, purple flowers.
'Blue Mammoth' - Large blue leaves and white flowers
are produced by plants 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide.
'Blue Moon' - Small, 5-inch plant produces blue, heart-
shaped leaves and white flowers.
'Blue Umbrellas' - Young leaves are bluish green but
become green, lavender flowers, plants 30 inches
tall.
'Blue Wedgewood' - Pale lavender flowers and blue,
wedge-shaped leaves are combined on low, mounded
plants only 10 inches tall.
'Bressingham Blue' - Round, puckered, blue-green
foliage is combined with white flowers.
'Bright Lights' - Leaves have gold centers with blue-
green margins.
'Brim Cup' - The green leaves have white margins, blue
flowers, plants 10 inches tall.
'Candy Hearts' - A small, 12-inch plant that forms a
mound of heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are
lavender.
'Chartreuse Wiggles' - Yellow foliage, lavender flowers,
plants only 10 inches tall.
'Cherry Berry' - The narrow leaves are white in the
center and green at the margins.
'Chinese Sunrise' - Narrow, yellowish-green leaves have
green margins in spring, lavender flowers, plants 12
inches tall.
'Chiquita' - Bright yellow, narrow foliage that matures
to green in summer. The 17-inch plants produce
lavender flowers.
'Christmas Tree' - Green and white foliage, lavender
flowers, plants 21 inches tall.
'Colossal' - Mature plants will have leaves 2 feet
across. The plants will be 3 feet tall and 6 feet
across.
'Crown Jewel' - Yellow, heart-shaped leaves have white
margins, lavender flowers, plants 12 inches tall.
'Crowned Imperial' - A 2- to 3-foot tall plant with
gray-green leaves that have a white edge. The
flowers are pale lavender.
'Crusader' - Green leaves have white margins, lavender
flowers, plants 18 inches tall.
'Daybreak' - Plants 22 inches tall will be 3 feet wide.
Leaves are golden-yellow, blue flowers.
'Dew Drop' - A small, 12-inch plant with lavender
flowers. The leaves that are dark green with creamy-
white margins.
'Diamond Tiara' - A 12-inch plant with deep purple
flowers and leaves with creamy-white margins.
'Dorset Blue' - Bluish leaves and light lavender
flowers on a plant about 12 inches tall.
'DuPage Delight' - Gold leaves have bluish-green
margins, white flowers, plants 24 inches tall.
'Elegans' (H. sieboldiana) - A large, 3-foot plant with
blue-gray leaves and white flowers. The leaves look
corrugated (Vis. 12).
'Emerald Tiara' - The leaves are gold with green
margins. The 12-inch plants produce dark purple
flowers that have white veining.
'Fair Maiden' - The new foliage has a yellowish margin
becoming white with age.
'Fire and Ice' - The leaves have white centers and green
margins.
'Flavo-circinalis' (H. tokudama) - Wide leaves are
bluish and have irregular, gold margins. The plants
are about 2 feet tall and produce white flowers.
'Flower Power' - Bright green, shiny leaves, lavender
flowers, plants 28 inches tall.
'Fragrant Blue' - Blue-green leaves and fragrant white
flowers on 20-inch stems.
'Fragrant Bouquet' - Light green leaves have a pale
yellow margin. Pale lavender flowers are very
fragrant.
'Francee' - Green, heart-shaped leaves have narrow,
white margins that hold up well in full sun. The
plants are about 2 feet tall and produce lavender
flowers (Vis. 3).
'Frances Williams' - Bluish-green foliage has a wide
yellow border. The 2-foot plants produce white
flowers (Vis. 4).
'Fried Bananas' - Golden foliage, lavender flowers, 23
inches.
'Frosted Jade' - Green and white foliage, lavender
flowers, 32 inches.
'Ginko Craig' - Short, narrow leaves have a white
border. The plants are about 12 inches tall and
produce dark purple flowers.
'Gold Drop' - A dwarf about 6 inches tall that has
gold, heart-shaped leaves. The plant tolerates sun
and produces lavender flowers.
'Gold Edger' - Rounded leaves on plants 12 inches tall.
'Gold Regal' - Plants 40 inches tall have gold leaves
and lavender flowers.
'Gold Standard' - New leaves are light green with dark
green margins but by summer the center of the leaves
turns gold. The plants produce lavender flowers and
are 2 feet tall (Vis. 5).
'Golden Bullion' - A 2-foot tall plant with gold
leaves.
'Golden Medallion' - A 1-foot tall plant with gold
leaves.
'Golden Prayers' - Yellow leaves and purple flowers.
'Golden Sunburst' - Yellow leaves and white flowers.
'Golden Tiara' - The leaves are heart-shaped and have a
wide, gold margin. The plants are about a foot tall
and produce deep lavender flowers.
'Great Expectations' - Plants 18 inches tall produce
white flowers and bluish leaves that have a light
yellow center (Vis. 6).
'Green Elf' - Green, narrow leaves and lilac colored
flowers.
'Green Gold' - Two-foot tall plants produce lavender
flowers and dark green leaves that have a creamy
yellow border.
'Groundmaster' - Bluish leaves have white margins,
lavender flowers.
'Guacamole' - Yellow leaves have green margins, plants 24
inches tall.
'Hadspen Blue' - Powdery, steel blue rounded leaves and
lavender flowers are produced on plants about 2 feet
tall.
'Halycon' - Two-foot tall plant produce violet flowers
and blue, spear-shaped leaves.
'Harvest Glow' - Gold leaves and white flowers are
produced by 2-foot tall plants.
'Heartsong' - These one-foot tall plants produce green,
heart-shaped leaves that have white margins.
'Heaven Scent' - The name comes from the fragrant white
flowers produced by this 2-foot tall plant. The
leaves have a wide, yellow margin.
'Hi Ho Silver' - The lance-like leaves have wide, white
margins. The flowers are purple on 13-inch stems.
'Honeybells' - A medium-sized plant with large, green
leaves and white flowers.
'Hyacinthina' (H. fortunei) - The plant produces a
mound of bluish leaves and pale lavender flowers, 24
inches tall.
'Inniswood' - Green and yellow foliage, pale lavender
flowers, plants 22 inches tall.
'Invincible' - Dark green leaves form a mound about 2
feet tall and 4 feet wide, white flowers.
'Jade Scepter' - Heart-shaped, green leaves, the
flowers are striped purple, plants 10 inches tall.
'Janet' - The yellow to white leaves are edged with
green, lavender flowers. plants 16 inches tall.
'June' - The leaves are gold in the center and blue-green
at the edges. Pale purple flowers.
'Kabitan' - A one-foot tall plant with narrow, dark
green leaves each with a yellow center. As the
leaves age the yellow center becomes lighter. The
flowers are purple.
'Kifukurin' - Dark green, shiny leaves have a yellow to
cream margin. The lavender flowers are large. The
plant will be about 2 feet tall.
'Kikutii Pruinosa' - Clumps of narrow leaves, 10 inches
high and lavender flowers.
'Knockout' - Green and white foliage, pale lavender
flowers, plants about 32 inches tall.
'Krossa Regal' - A large plant with blue foliage and
lavender flowers. The flower stalks can reach a
height of 5 feet.
lancifolia - A mounded plant with green, spear-shaped
leaves and lavender flowers.
'Lemon Lime' - Green and yellow foliage, lavender
flowers, plants only 10 inches tall.
'Leola Fraim' - Dark green leaves have cream-colored
margins, lavender flowers, plants 22 inches tall.
'Little Aurora' - A dwarf, 6 inches tall, with cupped,
yellow leaves.
'Love Pat' - The blue leaves are cupped and puckered.
White flowers. H. tokudama.
'Loyalist' - The leaves have white centers, the flowers
are lavender.
'Lucy Vitols' - Round, gold-colored leaves have dark
green margins. Light lavender flowers.
'Medio Variegata' - Leaves with wavy margins have yellow
streaks, flowers mauve.
'Middle Ridge' - Lavender flowers are combined with
green leaves that have white centers on plants about
16 inches tall.
'Mildred Seaver' - Green and white leaves, lavender
flowers, about 18 inches tall.
'Minuteman' - The leaves have dark green centers and
creamy white margins. Lavender flowers.
montana - Two-foot tall plants have pale lavender
flowers.
'Moon Glow' - The gold leaves have white edges and are
produced by a plant about 2 feet tall. The leaf
color hold well all season. The flowers are white.
'Moonlight' - The white flowers are combined with gold
leaves that have white margins on plants about 22
inches tall.
'Mountain Snow' - H. montana cultivar. Large green
leaves have white edges.
'Mr. Big' - Large, blue leaves, white flowers, plants 32
inches tall.
'Niagra Falls' - The leaves are dark green with impressed
veins.
'Night Before Christmas' - The centers of the leaves are
cream-colored becoming white and are combined with dark
green margins.
nigrescens - Round, corrugated, blue-green foliage is
combined with lavender flowers. The plants are about
2 feet tall with flower stalks to 5 feet.
'Northern Exposure' - Blue-green leaves have a wide,
yellow-green margin that blends to cream. The plant
is 3 feet tall and produces white flowers (Vis. 7).
'Northern Halo' - Three-foot tall plants produce blue-
gray leaves that have creamy yellow margins. The
margins become lighter as the leaf matures. The
flowers are white.
'Northern Star' - Gold edged leaves and white flowers
on plants that grow 3 feet tall.
'On Stage' - Bright yellow leaves have irregular green
margins, 22 inches.
'Patriot' - Dark green leaves have bright white
margins (Vis. 8).
'Paul's Glory' - Gold leaves have margins streaked with
bluish-green, plants 18 inches tall.
'Pearl Lake' - The grayish leaves are heart-shaped,
pale lavender flowers, plants 14 inches tall.
plantanginea - These 2-foot tall plants have green
leaves and white flowers.
'Platinum Tiara' - Green and gold leaves have a white
margin. The 12-inch plants produce lavender flowers
that are streaked with white.
'Purple Dwarf' - Green leaves and purple flowers, plants
only 8 inches tall.
'Radiant Edger' - Green leaves have gold margins,
lavender flowers, plants 14 inches tall.
'Regal Splendor' - Three-foot tall plants produce
lavender flowers and bluish leaves that have creamy
white borders.
'Royal Standard' - A 2-foot tall plant that grows well
in sun. The foliage is green and the flowers are
white and fragrant (Vis. 9).
'Ryan's Big One' - A large, 3-foot tall plant with
large bluish-green leaves and white flowers.
'Scooter' - Green and white foliage, lavender flowers,
plants to 12 inches tall.
'Sea Fire' - Bright golden leaves have red petioles in
the spring, becoming green by late summer. Dark
lavender flowers.
'Sea Sapphire' - Deep, blue-green foliage with good slug
resistance. Light lavender flowers.
'Sea Thunder' - Plants are one foot tall and wide. The
leaves are green with white centers, lavender flowers.
'September Sun' - White flowers are combined with pale
green leaves.
'Serendipity' - A dwarf 10 inches tall and 12 inches
wide with bluish leaves and heavy production of
purple flowers.
'Shade Fanfare' - Two-foot tall plants produce lavender
flowers and green, heart-shaped leaves that have
white margins. Can grow in shade to full sun.
'Sharmon' - Bluish-green and gold foliage, lavender
flowers.
'Silver Crown' - Two-foot tall plants have purple
flowers and green leaves that have wide, white
margins.
'So Sweet' (H. plantaginea) - Dark green leaves have
cream-colored margins that change to white. The 16-
inch plants produce white flowers.
'Solar Flare' - Large, golden-yellow leaves.
'Stetson' - The folded leaves resemble hat brims.
'Stilleto' - Green and white leaves, purple flowers,
plants about 12 inches tall.
'Striptease' - The leaves have pale yellow centers and
green margins. Sometimes a white variegation occurs
between the yellow and green.
'Sum and Substance' - A large cultivar with large
chartreuse leaves of thick substance. The flowers
are light lavender (Vis. 10).
'Sun Power' - Distinctive twisted, gold leaves are
combined with lavender flowers on 30-inch tall
plants.
'Sundance' - A two-foot tall plant with lavender
flowers and dark green leaves with a yellow edge.
The margins are creamy white in sun but more yellow
in shade.
'Tall Boy' - A large, 3-foot tall plant that can send
stalk of lavender flowers up to 6 feet. The leaves
are green and the plant will grow in sun.
tardiflora - Dark green, lustrous foliage and deep
purple flowers are produced by 12-inch tall plants.
tokudama - A slow-growing plant that reaches a height
of about 2 feet and produces white flowers. The
leaves are puckered, cup-shaped and blue.
'Twilight' - The green leaves have pale yellow margins.
'Variegated' (H. fluctuans) - Frosted green leaves have
indented and creamy-yellow margins. Pale lavender
flowers on plants about 2 feet tall.
'Variegated' (H. undulata) - Wavy leaves have white
centers and green margins on plants about 2 feet
tall. The flowers are lilac.
ventricosa - Large, glossy leaves are combined with
violet blue flowers on plants about 2 feet tall.
'Wheaton Blue' - Blue, heart-shaped leaves.
'White Christmas' - Leaves have white centers and green
margins, lavender flowers, 24 inches.
'Wide Brim' - Leaves with green centers and wide,
irregular margins of yellow are combined with
lavender flowers on plant about 2 feet tall.
'Yellow River' - Green and yellow foliage, lavender
flowers, plant to 28 inches.
'Yellow Splash Brim' - Green and yellow foliage, lavender
flowers, plant about 18 inches tall.
'Zounds' - Yellow foliage, pale lavender flowers, plants
24 inches tall.

References for Cultivars: Walters Gardens 1999, Ray
Wiegand's Nursery 1999, Weston Nurseries 1999, Lake County
Nursery 1999, Bailey Nurseries 1999, Wayside Gardens 1999,
Monrovia Nursery Company 1997, Studebaker Nurseries 1999,
Sheridan Nurseries 1999, White Flower Farm 1999, Berryhill
Nurseries 1999, Scarff's Nursery 1999, Gee Farms 1999,
Midwest Groundcovers 1999, Willoway Nurseries 1999.

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