Hosta 'Get Nekkid'

Hosta 'Get Nekkid': Bare-Naked Gloss for Shady Edges

We'll be honest, we picked this one up for the name. 'Get Nekkid' turns out to have glossy leaves that shine on BOTH SIDES, because when you're this confident, THERE'S NO BAD ANGLE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hosta 'Get Nekkid'
• Common Name: Plantain lily, hosta
• Height: 30 cm (12 in) foliage, with flower stems up to about 100 cm (40 in)
• Spread: 70 cm (28 in)
• Flowers: Lavender and spider-shaped, on tall green stems
• Bloom Time: Midsummer (July to August)
• Foliage: Oval, medium green, slightly rippled leaves that are glossy on both sides

Where to Plant: Its compact size suits the front of a shady border, the edge of a path, or a container where the shine can be seen up close. The tall flower stems add a surprising bit of height above a low planting.

Companion Plants: Use 'Get Nekkid' in a moist, shady bed with gold bleeding hearts, painted fern and tall dark bugbane. Dicentra 'Gold Heart' opens rose-pink hearts over gold leaves at 60 to 75 cm in May and June. Athyrium niponicum var. pictum adds silvery painted fern fronds at 45 cm. Cimicifuga 'Hillside Black Beauty' rises behind at 150 to 175 cm with dark leaves and fragrant white spikes in August and September. Carex rosea edges the front with a fine native sedge at 30 cm.

Plant Care: Plant it in part sun to full shade, in moist, rich, well-drained soil with some compost mixed in. Morning sun is fine; shelter it from hot afternoon sun. Water during dry spells, especially in its first season. Cut the flower stems once they finish, and clear the foliage after a hard frost. Deer and rabbits will eat hostas, so protect it where they roam. Divide in spring if you want more plants.

History: 'Get Nekkid' was raised by Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in North Carolina and registered in 2006. It is a cross between Hosta 'Elvis Lives' and 'Treasure Island', a selection of the glossy-leaved Korean species Hosta yingeri.

Final Thoughts: Plant it in the shade and wait for a visitor to read the tag out loud. TRY TO KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE.