The growth of fragrant hostas has decreased significantly since the mid-1980s. H. ‘Old Faithful’ (Petryszyn 1991), H. ‘Austin Dickinson’ (Lachman 1992), H. ‘Guacamole’ (Solberg 1994), H. ‘Fried Bananas’ (Solberg 1994), H. ‘Hoosier Harmony’ (Zilis 1995), and H. plantaginea ‘Ming Treasure’ (Zilis 1995) are notable fragrant hostas from the (Zilis 1995). In the late summer, these are all fairly exceptional in terms of vitality and huge, fragrant flowers.
A double flowered variant of Hosta plantaginea was the most fragrant hosta that sparked the most interest. This immediately became a collector’s item after it was imported into the United States in the 1980s. While the plant looked beautiful when it was in bloom, it rarely had the ideal conditions for the flowers to open. Only a few gardeners south of Baltimore have ever witnessed the blossoms in full bloom. To thrive, the double flowered version appears to require wet soils, warm days, and cool nights. Every year, gardeners are teased as the buds enlarge, only to turn to mush a day before opening. At the very least, there are other excellent options for the same scent.
Even if you don’t care about garden scent in your hostas, you can rest assured that any hostas with fragrance genes will thrive in the hot, humid summers of the southeast.
What hostas are fragrant?
Hostas are commonly grown for their beautiful leaves. Flowers are usually seen as an afterthought. Hosta cultivars with fragrant flowers are a notable exception. To properly savor the scent of fragrant flowering hostas, place them near a patio, deck, or pathway. On quiet summer evenings, their scent is most evident. The following kinds are available to home gardeners who want to grow hostas with fragrant flowers.
Fragrant Blue reaches a height of 10 to 12 inches. It features heart-shaped blue-green leaves. In mid-summer, fragrant, light lavender flowers bloom.
Fragrant Bouquet has apple-green leaves with wide, uneven, light yellow borders. Fragrant Bouquet is a fast-growing plant that grows to be 18 inches tall and 24 inches broad. In mid-July to early August, white flowers with a little blue tinge bloom. The blossoms have a strong scent.
Fragrant Gold is a hosta with gold leaves. Plants reach a height of 18 inches. The flowers are a pale lavender color and have a pleasant scent.
Heaven Scent is a Hosta plantaginea sport with light green leaves and broad gold borders. The fragrant, pure white blossoms bloom on the 18-inch-tall stems.
Honeybells grow to be a huge plant with a height of 18 to 24 inches. The leaves are a pale green color. In mid-August, fragrant, light lavender flowers bloom.
Hosta plantaginea’s glossy, light green, heart-shaped leaves are 7 inches broad and 10 inches long. Plants grow into 24 inch tall and 36 inch wide mounds. In August, large, fragrant, trumpet-shaped white flowers bloom. August Lily is a common name for it.
H. plantaginea has a variation called Aphrodite. It has leaves that are similar to those of the species. The double, pure white, fragrant blossoms are Aphrodite’s distinguishing feature.
Invincible’s brilliant, glossy leaves make a 10-inch-high, 12-inch-wide mound. Invincible can withstand a lot of sun. Sites in the shade to 3/4 sun are ideal. In mid-summer, fragrant, light lavender flowers bloom.
Royal Standard is another sun-tolerant hosta. It thrives in the shade to half-sun. Royal Standard is a fast-growing plant with gleaming green foliage and beautiful white blossoms in August.
So Sweet has wide, white borders on its glossy, green leaves. Plants grow into 14-inch-high, 20-inch-wide mounds. In August, So Sweet blooms with huge, white, fragrant flowers.
The leaves of Sugar and Cream are wavy and green, with cream-colored borders. Plants range in height from 18 to 24 inches. The virtually white blossoms are big and aromatic.
Large, green leaves with soft, cream-colored borders are produced by Summer Fragrance. In mid-summer, it blooms with big, fragrant lavender flowers.
Sweet Susan’s leaves are a medium green color. Plants grow to be 18 to 24 inches tall. In August, fragrant lavender blossoms bloom.
White Shoulders is the ultimate kind. It’s a light green kind of H. plantaginea with white margins. White Shoulders has sweet white blossoms.
Consider all of the qualities of hostas when shopping at your local garden center. The size of the plant, the color of the leaves, the shape of the leaves, and the color of the flowers are all key decorative aspects. Another factor to consider is the scent of the flowers. Hostas with aromatic blossoms make lovely complements to the garden.
Are hostas scented?
Many people cultivate Hostas for their flowers, but they are one of the best perennial foliage plants you can grow in the UK. The scent of some hosta blooms is one of its added benefits. A fragrant hosta planted with care may be a beautiful addition to any garden.
A bright medium variety with green leaves and a creamy yellow edge that grows quickly. This hosta can be grown in a pot or in the ground, and it’s a great choice if you’re new to hostas.
What is a patriot hosta?
‘Patriot’ is a hosta cultivar with a 12-20″ tall mound of huge, variegated, oval basal leaves (up to 7″) with deep green centers and irregular white borders. ‘Francee’ is a popular H. ‘Francee’ sport. Foliage mounds usually grow to be 24-30″ wide.
What is the fastest growing hosta?
Empress Wu, Sum and Substance, Vulcan, Island Breeze, and Royal Wedding are some of the faster growing hostas. Growers should be aware that hostas that haven’t been vernalized yet often look different than mature plants that have been treated with cold.
Which hosta has purple flowers?
‘Golden Tiara’ is a medium-sized plant with large heart-shaped leaves with uneven golden-yellow borders that form a spreading mound up to 38 inches wide. The plant blooms with funnel-shaped purple flowers on 25-inch stalks in late summer. The hosta ‘Golden Tiara’ is known for surviving dry soils better than most other hostas.
What is the largest hosta UK?
‘Empress Wu’ Hosta Hosta Empress Wu is a magnificent giant with a staggering maximum spread of about 2 meters. A fantastic show-stopping focal point for your yard.
Do variegated hostas flower?
After a few frosts, hostas are trimmed back in the fall. Aside from that, these hardy perennials demand very minimal maintenance and are ideal for a shady garden. Hostas are hardy and easy to grow, and they can even outlast the gardener! Find out more about how to grow and care for hostas.
About Hostas
The beauty of hostas is that they come in a variety of sizes, heights, textures, and colors. They can be used in a variety of settings (patio, border, container, rock, and shade) and are also cold-hardy.
The majority of cultivars have a spread and height of 1 to 3 feet, however larger and smaller kinds are available. Variegated white, lime green, and blue-green are just a few of the leaf colors available. Hosta leaves come in a variety of textures and shapes, ranging from smooth and narrow to ridged and heart-shaped.
The plants produce exquisite blooms in pink, lavender, light blue, or white from early summer to early fall, though they are best recognized for their elegant foliage. The flowers attract hummingbirds and other pollinators, and depending on the cultivar, the flowers may even be fragrant.
Note that slugs, snails, rabbits, and, in particular, deer, enjoy hostas almost as much as humans. If you have deer in your garden on a regular basis, keep this in mind because they will quickly nibble a hosta patch down to the stems.
Can Patriot hosta take full sun?
Hostas prefer light to open shade, while ‘Patriot’ may endure full sun if given enough water. Plant it in soil that is rich, wet, and well-drained. Most hostas are tolerant of both sandy and clay soils.