August 2008
Hosta Heaven
Leonard J. Buck Garden, Far Hills, NJ
Hostas are one of the most popular foliage plants and the most diverse group of plants for the shady garden. They are a distinct and colorful group that are long lived, reliable and easy to grow. You can see their dramatic foliage and attractive and sometimes sweet smelling flowers on display at the Leonard J. Buck Garden.
Hostas are native to the Far East. They evolved in the land areas bordering the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan. They grow in the wild in eastern China, Korea, the Japanese islands (excluding the Ryukyu Islands), and the southern Sikhote-Alin mountains.
They are a liliaceous plant, having flowers roughly resembling lilies. Their funnel or bell-shaped flowers bloom from June to October in purple, white, or white with fine lavender stripes. Some are deliciously fragrant.
Plant sizes range from a mere 2 inches to over 3 feet high, and 6 inches to over 6 feet wide. Leaves are lance shaped, heart shaped or nearly round, smooth or shiny, corrugated, cupped, or curled along the edges.
But let’s not forget their most stunning feature: their colorful foliage which comes in four main colors: blue, green, yellow, and white variegation patterns.
In today’s market the genus hosta consists of approximately 40 species and over 1,000 cultivars. With their different sizes, shapes, textures and colors there is a hosta for almost every situation and effect.
In general, hostas are shade loving perennials, growing best in rich, moist, well-drained soil. For best performance plant them in humus-rich soil with a neutral to slightly acid pH. Sandy loam is better than clay because it provides more aeration for the roots. On the contrary, large hostas such as ‘Great Expectations’ grow well in heavy soils, which are rich in plant nutrients, but take longer to establish themselves.
High-filtered or dappled sunlight is necessary for clean, healthy growth. Morning sun helps intensify leaf color, but hot afternoon sun is deadly.
The most common mistake is thinking that all hostas do best in full shade. This is not the case. In full shade hostas may not even flower. They are shade tolerant, meaning they do well in varying degrees of shade, yet they still like some sun. H. ‘Gold Standard and H. plantaginea tolerate sunnier conditions.
In their native habitat hostas receive over 60 inches of rainfall annually, well above our normal rainfall. Therefore, to ensure good looking foliage irrigate during periods of dry weather. Give your hosta a minimum of 1 inch of water per week during the growing season.
Hostas do not seem to suffer from any significant diseases and their only enemies, besides deer and rabbits, are slugs and snails for which numerous remedies exist. Clean all hosta foliage out of the garden in early winter after the plants have gone dormant to rid the area of slug and snail eggs.
Fertilize late winter or early spring before the leaves emerge by using a balanced, slow release fertilizer such as 13-13-13 or one with higher nitrogen.
Over 40 different cultivars of hosta grow at The Leonard J. Buck Garden including Hosta ‘Guacamole,’ H. ‘Nigrescens,’ H. ‘Krossa Regal,’ H. ‘Francee,’ H. ‘Blue Angel,’ H. ‘Halcyon,’ H. ‘Grand Marquee,’ H. ‘Golden Tiara,’ H. ‘Allan P. McConnel,’ H. Pandora’s Box,’ and H. ‘Rock Princess.’
Hosta ‘Guacamole’ quickly reaches maturity at 24 inches tall with a 54-inch spread. Leaves have dark green margins and, when grown in deep shade, its golden centers become chartreuse. Plant ‘Guacamole’ en masse or as a specimen. You’ll find it brightening up a shady bed in the Azalea Field and nestled around an inviting bench above Big Rock.
The large spreading H. nigrescens edges a garden bed near the upper pond in the Azalea Field. In late summer thick arching scapes carry 2-inch funnel-shaped white to light violet flowers. Nigrescens refers to the dull black buds emerging in spring. H. nigrescens is noteworthy for its leaf color and tall zig-zag flowerstalks.
One can not help but notice Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’ along the edge of a flower bed in the Azalea Field. Zig-zag scapes, almost 5-feet tall, bear pale purple flowers. A descendent of H. nigrescens, its architectural stature makes this classic hosta an excellent garden plant.
Hosta ‘Francee’ greets you at the Visitor’s Center. Its 2-inch lavender flowers cover 40-inch flowerstalks. ‘Francee’ is one of the best of the white-margin hostas and looks good throughout the season. ‘Francee’ produces a clump 36 inches across and 24 high.
Hosta ‘Blue Angel’ is another blue hosta found between the Fern Garden and the Kennel Field. Its glossy white, bell-shaped flowers are densely packed on 4-foot flowerstalks in mid to late season. ‘Blue Angel’ is clump-forming with a spread of 50 inches and a height of 36. Give it some room.
Hosta ‘Halcyon’ grows between the Fern Garden and the Kennel Field. ‘Halcyon’ has bright powder blue leaves with very heavy substance. It forms a clump 32 inches wide and 18 tall. The bell-shaped flowers are grayish-lavender to nearly white, densely borne on 2-foot flowerstalks in mid-season. This 'blue' hosta retains its color long into the summer. This cultivar requires time to develop its mature shape.
The blue color in hostas is generated by light reflecting off a waxy substance covering a green leaf. As the season progresses and that waxy coating is degraded by exposure to sun and rain, hostas tend to lose their "blueness." Thus, blue hostas grown in sheltered environments will tend to retain their blue color longer than those exposed to harsher conditions.
Hosta ‘Grand Marquee’ is a medium sized hosta growing in our Fern Garden. It has an upright, relatively compact habit, with very pale lavender, almost white flowers positioned above the foliage on 12-inch flowerstalks. It forms 25 x 12-inch clumps.
Hosta ‘Golden Tiara’ has a tidy yellow margin that bleaches to near creamy white in the sun and an apple-green center. The 4-inch leaves are spear-shaped. Its 2-inch bell-shaped flowers are deep lavender striped with purple on 24-inch flowerstalks. It is a vigorous grower producing multiple flowerstalks even when young. It forms 24 x 14-inch clumps, making a great small groundcover.
Running out of space? Try some smaller hostas.
Hosta ‘Allan P. McConnel’ is a medium hosta, 18 x 8 inches. Its small leaves are oval when mature, flat dark green with a narrow, clean, near white-margin. Its purple, funnel-shaped flowers bloom mid-season on 15” flowerstalks. You’ll notice this compact ground cover in the Azalea Field in front of the Cornus mas tree.
The dwarf Hosta 'Pandora's Box' grows less than 5 inches with lavender flowers. It’s an excellent choice for rock gardens or in the front of the border. A true collector's hosta! Find it on Reno Rock.
Another dwarf, Hosta ‘Rock Princess,’ grows only 3 inches tall with heart-shaped glossy, green leaves. The flowers are lavender outside and purple striped inside. It’s wonderful in a rock garden or trough. Find this little gem on Polypody Rock.
Hostas are very beautiful plants. They offer tremendous diversity, are long-lived and require little maintenance. Your appreciation of the Hosta will be cultivated to a higher level by taking a closer look at them in the Leonard J. Buck Garden.
- Tricia Scibilia, interpretive gardener
**All photos by Tricia Scibilia
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