Walton's Plant Library

Other Names:  Plantain Lily, Funkia

Brand:  Johnson Nursery

Description:

Attractive heart shaped green leaves, with striking white margins; interesting light lavender to white flowers emerge in mid-summer; performs best in full sun; provides beautiful texture and contrast to other plants

Ornamental Features

SunHosta™ Hosta features dainty spikes of lavender tubular flowers with white overtones rising above the foliage in mid summer. Its attractive textured heart-shaped leaves remain bluish-green in color with distinctive white edges and tinges of chartreuse throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

SunHosta™ Hosta is a dense herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

SunHosta™ Hosta is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover

Planting & Growing

SunHosta™ Hosta will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 30 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 28 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in a location that gets morning sunlight but is shaded from the hot afternoon sun, although it will also grow in full shade. Keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.