Plantain Lily (Daylily, Hosta)
Hosta species and hybrids. LILIACEAE.
Planting and Growing Plantain Lily
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow plantain lily in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of plantain lily
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for plantain lily
- Season of bloom and planting time for plantain lily
- When, how deep, and where to plant plantain lily
- How to plant plantain lily
- Watering, fertilizing, care, and pests or diseases of plantain lily
- Landscape and container uses of plantain lily
- Comments about plantain lily and its features
Growing Plantain Lily
About 40 species and thousands of hybrid cultivars of mounding, spreading, rhizomatous, semi-evergreen perennial herbs, 8–36 in. (20–90 cm) tall and to 5 ft. (1.5 m) wide.
Most have shiny or smooth, gold, green, white, variegated or fringed, overlapping, oval or round, heart- or lance-shaped, often scallop-edged, pointed leaves, 6–12 in. (15–30 cm) long, forming a circular, overlapping base.
Commonly cultivated species include blue plantain lily, Hosta ventricosa; fragrant plantain lily, Hosta plantaginea; gold-edged plantain lily, Hosta fortunei; and Siebold’s hosta, Hosta sieboldiana.
Planting and Care Guide
Blooms
Showy, cream, pink, white, often nodding, lilylike, tubular, fragrant flowers, to 1-1/2-in. (38-mm) long, in drooping clusters on tall, fleshy or woody stalks, in summer.
Best Climates
Hardy. Zones 2–10.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained humus. Fertility: Rich–low. 5.5–7.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Spring in partial to full shade, 1–3 ft. (30–90 cm) apart.
Proper Care
Very easy. Keep evenly moist. Fertilize regularly. Mulch young plants in winter. Shear in autumn. Propagate by division.
About This Plant
Good choice for beds, borders, ground covers in shade, woodland gardens. Good for color foliage. Slug, snail and crown rot susceptible.
Plantain Lily Species and Cultivars
- Plantain Lily Species:
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- Blue plantain lily, Hosta ventricosa
- Blunt plantain lily, Hosta decorata
- Dwarf plantain lily, Hosta venusta
- Fortune lily, Hosta fortunei
- Fragrant plantain lily, Hosta plantaginea
- Giant hosta, Hosta elata
- Narrow-leaved hosta, Hosta lancifolia
- Siebold plantain lily, Hosta sieboldiana
- Wavy-leaved plantain lily, Hosta undulata
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- Popular Plantain Lily Hybrids:
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- ‘Blue Umbrellas’
- ‘Francee’
- ‘Frances Williams’
- ‘Gold Standard’
- ‘Patriot’
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About Plantain Lily and the Hosta Family
More than 40 species of rhizomatous perennial herbs comprise the Hosta genus. Hostas reign supreme among shade plants and are renowned for their foliage. Most are native to China, Japan, and Korea.
Their glossy, veined, often variegated leaves and mounding habit make them an ideal ground cover for shade and woodland gardens.
They perform especially well in cold-winter climates, where they have rapid spring growth and excellent cold tolerance.
Hostas flower in summer. Besides a welcome floral display in shade gardens, where their pale blossoms fairly glow in the dim light, they also are excellent when cut.
Hostas bring cool, green, lush growth—nearly tropical in feel—to shady, woodland gardens where other plants grow leggy and lose their vigor. They are diverse plants, in size, color, and foliage texture.
Most hostas create clumplike mounds while others sprout luxurious foliage waist or chest high.
They are a perfect companion planting to azaleas, ferns, and rhododendrons in a forest understory, and are at their best when planted in the shade of tall deciduous trees.
Choose from the commonly cultivated species listed.
Planting and Caring for Plantain Lily
Plant hostas in spring in partial to full shade. While most hostas are grown for their striking foliage, they also produce beautiful flowers.
Give them regular waterings at their roots to keep their soil evenly moist and avoid wetting their foliage.
They perform best in moist, well-drained humus and prefer acidic to neutral soil conditions.
For best results, feed hostas with nitrogen liquid fertilizer every two months as they sprout and grow. Reduce fertilizer applications after the flowers fade to help them slow their growth and store nutrients in their roots for autumn and winter.
Pinch or prune spent flower stalks after blooms fade.
Most hostas are prone to slug and snail damage; a single mollusk can strip a plant of its foliage in an evening. They also are crown rot susceptible in cool, moist climates when water is allowed to stand on their foliage.
Hostas sometimes become invasive in landscapes and gardens where conditions for their growth are ideal.
Avoid crowding by dividing plant colonies when they become too large or when the central plants in a group begin to lose their vigor.
Shear your hosta plantings in late autumn, divide their rhizomes in spring, and renew your bed by discarding and replanting the center with young offshoots from the perimeter.