White Feather Hosta Is the Unexpected Accent Your Shade Garden Needs
Hostas are the shade-loving perennials anyone can grow. Their foliage and flowers come in a vast array of hues and forms, making them favorites of gardeners across the region. Even the Grumpy Gardener is a fan: “Simply put, no other hardy perennials offer such beautiful foliage in so many colors, shapes, and sizes.” One selection has been catching our eye lately, and it has stunning, bright white foliage. It’s ‘White Feather’, a hosta cultivar that is so easy to grow, it belies the major visual interest the plant brings to a garden.
‘White Feather’ Hostas
These hostas have showy white foliage lightly veined with green. As the foliage ages, it fades to deeper green and cream shades. They love the shade, as all hostas do, but they’re even more shade tolerant than most. Their central stalks produce fragrant lavender blooms in the midsummer months, and the flowers often last until fall. Under the right conditions, 'White Feather' hostas grow to heights of 1 to 2 feet tall and wide.
Planting ‘White Feather’ Hostas
For ‘White Feather’ hostas to thrive, they need moist, well-drained soil amended with plenty of organic matter. They’re perfect for shady gardens and also thrive in containers as long as they have the right soil, water, and shade conditions. While these hostas love shade, they can also take some gentle morning light. Hostas go dormant in the winter months, and they reemerge in spring and summer.
Other Hosta Hybrids
There are many hosta hybrids and cultivars sold today, and every gardener has their favorites. Their foliage varies in shape and includes heart-shaped, oval, long, and round forms. ‘August Moon’ has chartreuse leaves and white flowers; ‘Frances Williams’ has blue-green foliage and purple flowers; ‘Golden Tiara’ has heart-shaped green leaves and lavender flowers; ‘Guacamole’ has chartreuse leaves and fragrant, white flowers; ‘Halcyon’ has blue foliage and flowers; ‘Honeybells’ has yellow-green leaves and lilac flowers; and ‘Sun Power’ has golden leaves and lavender flowers.
WATCH: 11 Pretty Purple Flowers to Plant in Your Garden
Do you have hostas in your garden? What are some of your favorite shade-loving plants?
