Common Name: hosta
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asparagaceae
Native Range: Japan, Korea
Zone: 3 to 8
Height: 0.75 to 1.00 feet
Spread: 0.50 to 0.75 feet
Bloom Time: August to September
Bloom Description: Lavender
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Hummingbirds
Tolerate: Heavy Shade, Black Walnut
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions. Does best in rich, moist, organic soils in light, sun-dappled, part shade. Tolerates full shade. Plants need consistent moisture during the growing season. Water is best applied directly to the soil beneath the leaves. Divide plants as needed in spring or autumn. Division is usually easiest in early spring before the leaves unfurl.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Hosta longipes is native to Japan. It is a small to medium hosta that typically grows in a rounded clump rising to 9” tall and spreading to 12” wide. Oval, leathery, glossy, dark green leaves (to 8” long and 5” wide) with deeply ribbed veins emerge in spring and remain attractive throughout the growing season. Funnel-shaped lavender flowers appear in late summer on naked, purple-dotted scapes rising above the foliage mound to 12” tall.
Genus name honors Austrian botanist Nicholas Thomas Host (1761-1834) and was first established in 1812. The genus was subsequently renamed in 1817 as Funkia in honor of botanist Heinrich Christian Funk under the belief at that time that Hosta was an invalid name. Hosta was finally reinstated as the genus name in 1905 by the International Botanical Congress.
Specific epithet means long-stalked.
Funkia remains a popular common name today in some areas. An additional common name for plants in this genus is plantain lily (foliage is somewhat plantain-like and flowers are somewhat lily-like in some species).
Problems
Slugs and snails are attracted to the foliage, chewing jagged holes in the leaves, and if left unchecked, can cause serious damage over a fairly short period of time. Leaf spots and crown rot are less frequent problems. Otherwise, hostas are virtually pest-free and are considered ideal low-maintenance garden perennials. Leaves, particularly of exposed plants, can be severely damaged by hail storms.
Uses
Hostas are a mainstay of shade gardens. This hosta is best mixed with other perennials in shady borders, shade gardens or woodland gardens.