Golden Acre Home & Garden Centre's Plant Library

Other Names:  Plantain Lily, Funkia

Group/Class:  Shadowland® Collection

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

This interesting variety has narrow, wavy, and ruffled powder blue leaves with heavy substance; lavender flowers in late summer; a vigorous grower with an outstanding, unusual texture that resembles water splashing; great for landscapes or containers

Ornamental Features

Shadowland® Waterslide Hosta features dainty spikes of lavender tubular flowers rising above the foliage in late summer, which emerge from distinctive purple flower buds. Its attractive twisted narrow leaves emerge chartreuse in spring, turning powder blue in colour with hints of grayish green throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Shadowland® Waterslide Hosta is an 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

Shadowland® Waterslide Hosta is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Shadowland® Waterslide Hosta will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 32 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 28 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. 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.

Shadowland® Waterslide Hosta is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.