Scientific Name
Hosta clausa Nakai
Common Name(s)
Plantain Lily
Synonym(s)
Hosta clausa var. clausa, Hosta ensata, Hosta japonica var. lancifolia
Scientific Classification
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Agavoideae
Genus: Hosta
Origin
Hosta clausa is native to Korea.
Flower
Color: Purple
Bloom Time: Late summer
Description
Hosta clausa is a medium-sized Hosta that typically grows in a rounded clump up to 12 inches (30 cm) tall and wide. It is a sterile triploid noted for producing purple flower buds that do not open. Unopened buds eventually drop to the ground in the fall without producing fruit. Leaves are shiny, narrow-oval to elliptic, medium to dark green, up to 6 inches (15 cm) long, and have closely spaced veins and acute tips. The purple flower buds appear on scapes rising to 30 inches (75 cm) tall in late summer.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 3a to 8b: from −40 °F (−40 °C) to 20 °F (−6.7 °C).
How to Grow and Care
The color of a Hosta's leaves can help determine how much light it prefers. Blue and deep green varieties like deeper shade, while variegated (striped or splotched bicolor leaves) and yellowish varieties require some morning sun. Harsh afternoon sun can scorch Hosta leaves.
Hostas prefer an inch (2.5 cm) of water a week, whether from rainfall or irrigation. If you water by hand, do so early in the day. Burnt leaf tips and drooping leaves are signals of inadequate water.
Rich, slightly acidic, well-draining soil produces the best Hostas. When preparing the planting hole, add organic matter such as compost, manure, leaf mold, or peat moss. Mix well, and do not let manure contact the roots directly because this can cause discoloration of the leaves.
If the soil is poor, apply a 10-10-10 or 5-10-5 all-purpose fertilizer according to package directions. Otherwise, topdress with well-rotted manure or compost.
Plant Hostas in spring or fall. Bury the crown slightly so it will stay moist unless the soil is very heavy, in which case leave the crown at ground level. Leave a depression around the plant so that the water soaks directly toward the root at first watering.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Hostas.
Links
- Back to genus Hosta
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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