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Herbaceous Perennial

Hosta venusta

handsome plantain lily

A compact herbaceous perennial with glossy dark green, narrowly ovate leaves to 5cm in length. Trumpet-shaped violet flowers are borne in short racemes on stems to 30cm in height in late summer and early autumn

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asparagaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Hosta are clump-forming herbaceous perennials with simple, ovate or lance-shaped leaves, often attractively coloured or variegated, and erect racemes of nodding, funnel or bell-shaped flowers in early summer
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Japan, Korea

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in part shade with shelter from cold, dry winds. See hosta cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by division in late summer or early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds
Garden edging
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Remove spent foliage as required and clear up dead foliage when it dies back at the end of the growing season

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails; plants in pots may be susceptible to vine weevil

Diseases

May be subject to a virus

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