Plant Care Library

Other Names:  Plantain Lily, Funkia

Description:

A lovely gold leaf center that matures to cream with dark green margins; leaf is narrow and upright; spikes of lavender flowers in late summer; a unique addition to the garden or border

Ornamental Features

First Mate Hosta features dainty spikes of lavender tubular flowers rising above the foliage in late summer. Its attractive narrow leaves remain gold in color with distinctive dark green edges and tinges of creamy white throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

First Mate Hosta is a dense herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

First Mate Hosta is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover

Planting & Growing

First Mate Hosta will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 21 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 16 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.