Wednesday, July 16

Pure gold

14 hostas that hold their color all season long

"June." Photo by Kim Carpenter/The Daily Journal

The longer I garden, the more shade I have. It's just a given that trees and shrubs are going to grow. (At least we hope they will!) And the more shade I have, the more I come to appreciate the ever-expanding choices in hostas.

I can't help but be a bit disappointed, though, when I buy a beautifully variegated variety at the garden center in spring only to have it 'go green' by summer.

I recently spoke with Rich Hornbaker, owner of Hornbaker Gardens, about my dilemma. I figured if anyone could recommend hostas, it would be Rich: He served on the board of directors of the American Hosta Society for six years and currently grows more than 500 varieties of this shade-loving perennial at his Princeton, Ill. nursery.

Rich says, as a general rule, it's the hostas with the brightest yellow foliage in spring that green out by midsummer. There are numerous varieties that keep their color throughout the season, though, and Rich shares his favorites:

1. Hosta 'June' is on many people's personal favorites list (including my own), and Rich says "it is in a class by itself for great looks all season." 'June' begins the season with gold centers and blue margins. If grown in some sun, the gold lightens to near white as the summer goes on. Leaves are also thick and waxy, making it one of the most slug-resistant varieties you can grow. Flowers are lavender.

"Blaze of Glory." Photo courtesy hostalibrary.org

2. 'Blaze of Glory' is a newer hosta that starts out bright yellow and gets even brighter as the season progresses, staying that way right into fall. It forms a medium-sized clump (21 inches high by 30 inches wide) and produces lavender flowers.

"Katherine Lewis" Photo courtesy hostalibrary.org

3. 'Katherine Lewis' is very similar to 'June' but offers an even more dramatic change in color during the season. It starts out with chartreuse centers surrounded by blue margins. The centers turn to gold, then yellow, and finally to near white by September. 'Katherine Lewis' is a medium sized hosta, growing about 30 inches tall and wide. It produces pale lavender flowers.

"Brother Stefan." Photo courtesy hostalibrary.org

4. Many hosta groupies declare 'Brother Stephan' to be "The Best." This hosta's unique leaf has a gold maple-leaf center and a dark green margin, with chartreuse streaks between the two. Leaves are also broadly heart-shaped and heavily puckered. Clumps grow to about three feet wide. Flowers are near white.

"Old Glory" Photo courtesy Willoway Nursery.

5. 'Old Glory' has true golden yellow leaves with thin green margins. A larger hosta, it grows 18 inches tall by 48 inches wide and features lavender flowers.

"Lunar Orbit." Photo courtesy hostalibrary.org

6. 'Lunar Orbit' is a sport of 'August Moon.' It grows 30 inches wide and just 12 inches high. The leathery, heart-shaped leaves are yellow with jagged green margins. Medium violet flowers are held on 24-inch scapes and appear from early June to early August.

'Guacamole.' Photo courtesy hostalibrary.org

7. 'Guacamole' is a fast growing, larger hosta, reaching up to four feet wide. The chartreuse green leaves are large, well rounded and shiny and have a blue edge. 'Guacamole' has the additional benefit of fragrant flowers (white) that attract hummingbirds in the garden and also make great cut flowers. It was Hosta of the Year in 2002.

"Orange Marmalade." Photo courtesy hostalibrary.org

8. True to its name, the centers of 'Orange Marmalade' take on an orange hue as they brighten throughout the season, eventually turning a parchment color by fall. This medium-large hosta begins the season with bright gold leaves and blue-green margins. Lavender flowers come on in July.

'Rainforest Sunrise.' Photo courtesy Hornbaker Gardens.

9. One of Rich Hornbaker's personal favorites is 'Rainforest Sunrise.' Although not as brightly variegated as 'Orange Marmalade,' Rich says that its gold centers take on an orange glow that contrast beautifully with dark green margins. The leaves are heavy and nicely cupped and puckered. A smaller hosta, Rich recommends planting it near the front of the border or close to a path.

"Striptease." Photo courtesy hostalibrary.org

10. 'Striptease' has a light center with unique white strips between it and the darker margins. It grows about four feet wide and two feet high. Flowers on this vigorous grower are violet and said to be lightly fragrant.

'Kiwi Full Monty.' Photo courtesy Hornbaker Gardens.

11. Although similar to 'Striptease,' it's 'Kiwi Full Monty' that's currently at the top of Rich's list of favorites. 'Kiwi' has frosty blue margins instead of green ones and is a smaller than 'Striptease,' forming a clump just two feet wide. The pale lavender flowers form in early July.

"Thunderbolt." Photo courtesy hostalibrary.org

12. 'Thunderbolt' is a new sport of Hosta 'Elegans.' Like its parent, the leaves are heavily corrugated and the margins are the same blue-green color. Unlike its parent, the leaves have golden centers that turn creamy as the season progresses. 'Thunderbolt' produces white flowers in June.

'American Sweetheart.' Photo courtesy hostalibrary.org.

13. 'American Sweetheart' is a medium-sized hosta with pure white centers and dark green margins. It is named in honor of its hybridizer, the late Mildred Seaver. With a white throat, the lavender flowers are as unique as the leaves, and come in late July. Mature plants reach 24 inches wide and 20 inches high with an upright habit. 'American Sweetheart' is a slow grower.

"Peppermint Ice." Photo courtesy hostalibrary.org

14. As the leaves mature, the gold center on 'Peppermint Ice' changes first to cream and then to pure white, which lasts the rest of the season. Margins are dark green and shiny. This is a smaller hosta, measuring two feet by two feet. Purple flowers begin in late July and last into August.

An award winning writer and features editor, Mary Ellen Smith counts it a joy to be able to blend her 15-year-long career in journalism with a life-long love of gardening. A Master Gardener in her own right, our editor has tried her hand at growing everything from coreopsis and calycanthus to peanuts and pears. She still tends her own beds and borders and depends heavily on perennials and flowering shrubs to keep them looking good while she's off writing about other people's gardens.