Hosta, or plantain lily, is a traditional shade garden favorite because its fantastic display of foliage gives color and texture to gardens from mid-spring until fall. Hosta has a mounded growth habit and is ideal for a specimen plant, border, foundation, edging or woodland setting. It may also be used in rock gardens, near pools, and as ground covers. It is a near perfect perennial requiring very little maintenance and is nearly pest free.
Hosta is distinguished by its large clumps of basal leaves with pronounced veining and smooth or wavy edges. The leaves come in various shades of green, often with variegations. Lily-like flowers on tall stems (or scapes) in white and lavender bloom from late spring to late summer. Their size and shape vary tremendously, with petite types a few inches tall at one end of the scale and giants the size of a large barrel at the other.
Hosta performs well in sun but prefers a shady location. Yellow to gold leafed varieties need more sun to maintain their color, and the variegated types will do better in partial shade rather than dense shade. They seldom need maintenance except to cut out the old flower stalks. They prefer a well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0-6.5. Plants may be divided every few years or left undisturbed indefinitely. Hosta goes completely dormant in the fall, and the dying foliage can be removed any time before mid-spring.
To plant bare root perennials, dig a hole large enough to encompass the roots without bending or circling. Set the plant in place so the eyes (tender white or purple swellings protruding from the crown area) are about 1-2 inches below the soil surface. Cover with soil to the original soil surface and water thoroughly.
Supplied as 1-2 eye bare root. Tags are included with bare root perennials from DeGroot.
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