Digging deeperPlant Library

Blonde Elf Hosta foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Other Names:  Plantain Lily, Funkia

Description:

A wonderful petite variety featuring dense mounds of light yellow-chartreuse, lance-shaped leaves with wavy margins; lavender flowers appear in mid-summer; adds texture, contrast and color to shaded beds, borders and containers

Ornamental Features

Blonde Elf Hosta features dainty spikes of lavender tubular flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer. Its attractive tiny textured narrow leaves remain chartreuse in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Blonde Elf Hosta is a dense herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

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

Blonde Elf Hosta is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Blonde Elf Hosta will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity extending to 8 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 20 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium 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.