Content
Most horticultural crops need enough sunlight and are painful to react to a lack of it. However, there are those among them for whom the shadow is a necessary condition for good development. These include giant hosts - shade-tolerant ornamental plants that many gardeners use to plant in those parts of the garden where the sun's rays rarely look.
Benefits of growing large hosta varieties
Giant hosts will appeal to all lovers of large-sized plants. Although they are herbaceous plants, their size is impressive. The height of the host can reach 1.5 m, while in the circumference the bush can reach a diameter of 2 m or even more.
Giant flower beds look great in group plantings
Growing such giant plants has several advantages:
- Each giant hosta takes up a large area. Therefore, a small amount of planting material is required to fill the required area.
- Giant hosts are unpretentious and grow well in shady places, unsuitable for most garden plants. This allows you to increase the decorativeness of the garden in general and its individual corners in particular.
- For normal development, giants need very little: shade, fertile land and an abundance of moisture.
- A large number of types of colors and sizes allows you to use giant hosts in various landscape compositions.
- Plants are perennials, in one place they can grow up to 10, and sometimes up to 20 years.
- Giant hosts have good frost resistance and, even in the middle lane, do not freeze out in winter without shelter.
Another advantage of growing these plants is the ease of breeding. Giant hosts reproduce well both by seeds and vegetative ways.
The best types and varieties of large hosts
Giant host species differ not only in size, but also in the shape and color of the leaves, the way they are colored, shades, shade tolerance. This makes it possible to fine-tune the selection of plants for the design of each specific site in accordance with the requirements of the existing landscape and the wishes of the designer.
Jade Cascade
Hosta Jade Cascade lives up to its name. In appearance, it is a cascading fountain of large drooping green-olive leaves growing on long stalks. It can reach a height of 1.1 m, the diameter of the circumference of the bush is 1.5 m. The leaves of Jade Cascade are large, oval, with a wavy edge and a sharp tip, with deep longitudinal veins, perfectly readable on the leaf plate. Inflorescences are a panicle of bell-shaped lavender flowers with an elongated corolla, growing on a long peduncle.
Jane Cascade looks like a fountain
Elegans
A very interesting large hosta Elegans, growing up to 0.7 m in height. A distinctive feature of this plant is the specific relief surface of the leaf plate, which increases markedly as the bush matures.
Leaves in the shade have a bluish color, in the sun they brighten and turn green.The plate has the shape of a heart, is slightly bent by a boat, the edges are tucked up slightly. Peduncles slightly extend beyond the size of the bush. Flowers are white, with a slight lilac tint, appear relatively early in June relative to other species.
Elegance leaves have a bumpy embossed surface
Cross Regal
The large vase-like hosta Krossa Regal grows to 0.7-0.9 m, and with the appearance of peduncles, its height can increase to 1.2 m. The bush can eventually grow up to 1.5 m in diameter. Petioles are light, almost vertical, massive, dense. The plate has an elongated pointed tip and is slightly twisted. The leaves of the hosta Krossa Regal are light green, with a bluish tint, deep longitudinal veins are clearly visible on them. Flowers with a purple tint, collected in paniculate inflorescences.
The vase-shaped bush of Cross Regal can grow strongly in breadth
Empress Wu
The giant hosta Empress Wu, or Empress Wu, is considered the tallest in the world. With good care, its growth can reach up to 1.5 m, and the diameter of the bush - up to 2.5 m.Under the leaves of this plant, a person of small stature can easily hide from the rain. The leaf plate is dense, saturated green, with clear deep veins. The length and width are a little less than 0.5 m, and in some cases this figure can be up to 0.7 m.
Empress Wu is considered the tallest in the world
This giant hosta blooms in July, in large flowers with an elongated, light purple corolla. For normal growth, it requires a shady or semi-shady area with moist fertile soil.
Francis Williams
This giant hosta received its modern name quite recently, in 1970. Until that time, it was attributed to the Elegance variety and was not singled out as a separate species. In height, the giant hosta Frances Williams grows 0.65-0.7 m.Its distinctive feature are bluish leaves with a yellow border around the edge. The sheet plate is corrugated, bubbly structure. The flowers are white, with an elongated corolla, rather large. The flowering period is July.
The wide yellow border on the leaves gives Francis Williams a special decorative effect.
Icy Halo
Hosta Aisi Halo grows in height up to 0.9 m, while in breadth it spreads much more strongly, the diameter of the bush can reach 1.8-1.9 m.The variety has large, pointed green leaves with a grayish tint, bordered along the edge of a thin light strip. Flowering occurs in July. Icy Halo flowers of a lavender shade, large, collected in paniculate inflorescences.
Aisi Halo leaves are heart-shaped
Montana
The giant hosta Montana is one of the largest. Its second name is Gornaya. Leaves are cordate, with a pointed end, green. The veins are very clearly readable on the plate, forming a beautiful relief pattern.
Deep veins on Montana leaves form a clear relief
Liberty
The giant hosta Liberty has a full two-tone leaf color. The outer part is yellow, golden or creamy, the inner part is bright green. The bush is notable for its solid size, it can reach 1 m in height, and grow up to 1.7-1.8 m in circumference.In July, flower stalks appear, on which large light, funnel-shaped flowers with lavender petals bloom.
Liberty has a two-tone color
Coast to Coast
The Coast to coast giant hosta variety has a characteristic yellow-light green color. The leaf blade has clearly visible, slightly depressed veins, which give a special relief. The edge of the leaf is wavy, the tip is elongated and pointed. The average height of the bush is 0.7-0.8 m, the crown circumference is 1.2 m. Lavender flowers appear in July.
Coast to Coast - a variety with unusual light green leaves with a wavy edge
Montata Aureomarginata
Quite a large hosta Montana Aureomarginata of a vase-like shape, the height of which reaches 0.6-0.7 m. It is distinguished by a rich green color of leaf plates with a characteristic light yellow border.Over time, the color of the edge of the peripheral areas changes to milky, while the central young leaves do not change it.
Montana Aureomarginata forms a vase-like bush
The leaf plate of the hosta Montana Aureomarginate is heart-shaped, the pointed ends are slightly drooping. Peduncles are straight, not very thick. Flowers are white, few in number.
Dino
Hosta Dino can grow up to 1.2 m under good conditions, while growing in width to almost 2 m. The leaves are rounded-elongated, with a sharp tip and well-read veins.
Dino can grow in breadth over time
A blurred light strip of yellow or milky color runs along the edge of the leaf plate. Blooms in mid-summer.
Sagae
The giant hosta Sagae grows into a vase-shaped bush, the height of which can reach 0.75 m, and the circumference is up to 1.75 m.The leaves are green, with a bluish tint in the center and a light border along the edge, broadly ovate with a heart-shaped base. The plate is dense, even hard to the touch.
The leader of the rating of the American Association of Host Lovers - Sagae cultivar
Peduncles can grow up to a height of 1.25 m. Hosta Sagae blooms in July-August, the petals of large funnel-shaped flowers have a pale lavender hue.
Blue Mammoth
Blue Mammonth owes its name to its large size and bluish color. The dome-shaped bush can grow up to 0.9 m in height and 1.65 m in diameter. The leaves are large, broadly ovate, in the center, the color has a blue tint, later it becomes bright green. The leaf plate is dense, the veins are clearly visible, creating a convex relief. Flowers are funnel-shaped, large, almost white, appear on peduncles in July.
Blue Mammoth got its name from its huge leaves and bluish coloration.
Tee rex
The height of the hosta bush of the T-rex variety can reach up to 0.7 m, while the plant grows strongly in breadth, up to 1.8 m.The leaves are bright green, very large, with a wavy edge, oval-elongated, heart-shaped structure. The venation is strong. Peduncles grow up to 0.9 m, flowering time is July. The flowers are large, white.
T Rex grows to 0.7 m
Blue Umbrellaz
The giant hosta Blue Umbrellas grows rather weakly in breadth. With a bush height of about 1 m, its circumference usually does not exceed 1.2 m. The leaves are large, with good venation and a clear relief. The color is bluish, by the end of the season it turns green. Peduncles appear in July-August. The flowers are large, bluish or lilac, funnel-shaped.
Bluish Blue Ambrellas sheet plate is heavily corrugated
Sam and Substens
This is one of the tall host varieties with a yellow coloration. The domed Sum and Substance shrub can grow up to 0.9 m, while its circumference reaches 1.75 m.The leaves are dense, with deep veins, green at the base, more and more yellow towards the end. Blooms in July-August with large, pale lavender flowers.
Sam and Substens - a hosta with a yellow coloration that intensifies in the sun
Es Angel
Blue-green leaves with a wide, golden-cream border are a real decoration of this giant hosta. Visually, the bush looks very impressive, in the rating of the US Host Amateur Association for 2009, this variety confidently took 1st place. The height of an adult plant is about 0.8 m, the circumference is about 1.5 m. Earth Angel blooms in June-July. The flowers are white, lavender or pale purple, large, funnel-shaped or bell-shaped.
Spectacular bushes Es Angel will not leave anyone indifferent
Niagara Falls
An adult bush of this giant hosta can reach a height of 0.9 m, while growing in width up to 1.7 m. A distinctive feature of the Niagara Falls variety is convex bright green leaves with deep veins and a wavy embossed edge, which gives the plant a special decorative effect. Peduncles grow up to 1.2 m.Flowering occurs in July, the buds are light, purple or lilac shades, bell-shaped.
Niagara Falls resembles a dome
Big Daddy
The host of this variety forms a large domed shrub about 0.6 m high and about 1 m in diameter. The leaves are cupped, dark at the beginning of the season, with a blue tint and persistent light chalk bloom, later turning green. The Big Daddy plate is heavily corrugated, especially in adult specimens. Peduncles grow up to 1.2 m, in July-August, large light flowers of a white-bluish color appear, collected in tassel inflorescences.
Big Daddy's young leaves are chalky
Giant hosts in landscape design
Giant hosts are versatile plants and can be used in a wide variety of garden compositions. They are planted solo and in groups on flower beds, they decorate paths, the banks of artificial reservoirs, ponds. The massive green hosts are often used as a backdrop for flowers. In shady corners, they are used as ground cover plants. Giant hosts are used to decorate the garden in English, French and Japanese styles, they are planted at the foot of vertical supports, on architectural objects.
Hostas are often planted as curb plants.
Growing features
Giant hosts are planted, as a rule, in shaded and semi-shady areas of the garden, in those places where the sun appears for a limited amount of time during the day. There are no special requirements for the composition of the soil, although fertile loams are best suited for planting this plant. Poor soils must first be fed with humus and fertilized.
Hosts do not require increased maintenance during the season. They only need to be regularly watered, taken care of the root zone, and the soil loosened. Mulching the surface with organic matter is of great importance. It is the mulch that is the main source of nutrients for the hosts, especially if the plant is planted next to a large tree. They are usually fed with organic matter and complex mineral fertilizers, at the beginning of the growing season and at the end of flowering.
Hosts require regular maintenance of the root zone
Giant hosts do not require shelter for the winter. To cut or not cut the leaves before wintering is up to the gardener himself. There is no consensus on this issue. Some consider the dying aboveground part as an additional protection from the cold, while others see them as a source of possible diseases and pests. In any case, the root zone after the onset of winter must be insulated with a layer of snow. This is quite enough, since the high frost resistance allows you to endure winter cold without any additional shelter in most regions of Russia.
Diseases and pests
Giant hosts rarely get sick, but fungal infections sometimes develop on weakened plants. The most common diseases of these plants are:
- Phylostictosis, or brown spot. The disease can be recognized by the brown-brown spots on the leaves. The infected parts of the plant must be cut out and burned, and the hosts themselves must be treated with Abiga-Peak or Strobi preparations. In case of severe damage, it is necessary to dig up and destroy the entire plant as a whole. Since the causative agent of the fungus lives in the soil, the soil must be disinfected with formalin.
Brown spots on the leaves may indicate hosta disease with phyllostictosis.
- Gray rot or botrytis. It is detected by ash bloom or decay of the tips of the leaves, which gradually spreads to the entire leaf plate. Sick shoots are cut and burned, and the plants are treated with Kuproskat or Topaz.
Gray rot usually starts from the edge of the leaf.
- Rust. Most often, the manifestation of the disease can be seen along the edges of the leaf plate in varieties with a colored yellow border. It is the result of insufficient watering or improper planting. The metabolism of the affected plant is disturbed, it gradually dries up. There are no cures. Prevention is timely watering and the correct choice of planting site.
Rust occurs due to imbalance in water balance
Of the pests, the greatest danger to hosts is slugs, which actively eat the green mass of the plant. A sign of their appearance is the numerous rounded holes in the leaves. To combat these invertebrates, various traps are used, mollusks are collected by hand, and bulk materials are poured around the host, which interfere with the movement of gastropod pests.
Slugs are hosts' worst enemies
In case of large quantities of slugs, you can use chemicals such as Thunderstorm or Thunder, as well as biological products, for example, Ulicid.
Conclusion
Giant hosts are excellent decorative perennials that are widely used in landscape design. They do not require increased care, multiply easily and feel great in places where other plants do not develop well - in the shade and partial shade. There are several hundred types and varieties of hosts of various shapes and colors, so choosing the most suitable one will not be difficult.
