Hosta 'Elegans' Plantain Lily

Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit

Hosta 'Elegans' Plantain Lily stands as a majestic emblem of horticultural beauty, embodying three seasons of visual splendor and utility. This herbaceous, rhizomatous perennial, celebrated for its grand ornamental foliage, showcases magnificent heart shaped hosta leaves that unfurl in a metallic blue-green hue, transitioning from smoky blue in spring to a rich green foliage heart as they mature. Each leaf, measuring an impressive 13 x 10 inches, becomes thick, heavily corrugated, and subtly cupped, offering a pleasing diversity of textures in garden spaces.

A Hosta sieboldiana variety from Japan, commonly called plantain lily, Hosta 'Elegans' features a symmetrical mounding habit and exhibits a slow yet steadfast growth, evolving into luxurious perennial plants that fill even your garden's toughest spots and corners with unmatched texture and color. This variety is a direct descendant of the fragrant Hosta plantaginea species, inheriting a mild fragrance that adorns its funnel-shaped white flowers, tinged with violet, that bloom atop tall stems reaching up to 36 inches. These highly fragrant purple or white blooms become a beacon for butterflies and hummingbirds throughout early to midsummer, enhancing the garden's biodiversity.

This heart-shaped hosta not only excels in visual appeal but also stands as a testament to resilience and versatility. Hardy, easy to grow, and requiring minimal maintenance, this shade-tolerant, low-maintenance plant thrives in partially sunny to fully shaded locations. It prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil areas with an acidic to neutral pH, showcasing its adaptability to a wide range of soil conditions. Although it basks in the glory of some morning or dappled sun, especially to enhance leaf color, it firmly advocates for protection against the harshness of full sunlight. Plant Hosta 'Elegans' bulbs 3 to 4 feet apart and 1.5 to 2 inches deep.

Hosta 'Elegans' is not only a testament to the beauty and diversity of nature but also a practical addition to any garden, proving its worth as a ground cover, border plant, or a stately container specimen. With its capacity to spread anywhere between 20 to 36 inches, it effortlessly fills spaces with a harmonious blend of rich green heart-shaped leaves and mildly fragrant blooms. Moreover, its resistance to slug damage and benefit from winter mulch and early spring liquid fertilizer application underscore its low maintenance yet rewarding nature.

Shade garden stunners, hostas are low-maintenance perennials. Known for their variety of leaf colors and sizes, you can plant an entire shade garden using only hostas. Find tips for planting and maintenance in our Hosta Care Guide. Additionally, visit our Bulb Supplies page to find all the tools and materials you need for successful planting and maintenance.