Recent Pages: 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 10b 10c 11 13 15 16 17 18
18a 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26a 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 48a 49 50
Hostas!
Overview
Hosta is a genus of plants commonly known as hostas, plantain lilies (particularly in Britain) and occasionally by the Japanese name giboshi. Hostas are widely cultivated as shade-tolerant foliage plants. The genus is currently placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, and is native to northeast Asia (China, Japan, Korea, and the Russian Far East). Like many “lilioid monocots”, the genus was once classified in the Liliaceae. The genus was named by Austrian botanist Leopold Trattinnick in 1812, in honor of the Austrian botanist Nicholas Thomas Host. In 1817, the generic name Funkia was used by German botanist Kurt Sprengel in honor of Heinrich Funk, a collector of ferns and alpines; this was later used as a common name and can be found in some older literature.
Hostas has beautiful foliage that changes color in the fall and winter. A perennial, Hosta flowers bloom in summer. The tall stems make it a good cut flower to use in arrangements, but the seed heads can be left on the plant to add interest during the winter months. Hosta returns year after year. Gardeners cut back the plant in early winter in colder climates. In milder climates, many gardeners do not cut back the plants until late winter.
Cut hosta foliage. Hosta foliage begins to die down on its own, but it benefits from cutting back. Gently bend the foliage back until you can see where the leaves meet the rhizomes (roots.) Begin cutting foliage until all the leaves are cut back. Hostas planted in tubs should also be cut back in early to late winter.
Mulch hostas growing area with 2-4 inches of mulch. Hostas benefit from heavy mulching. The perennial will come into leaf in late spring.
