Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears'

Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears': Tiny Blue Ears, Big Personality

Tiny, round, thick blue leaves that look exactly like what the name promises. 'Blue Mouse Ears' is the smallest guest at the party and somehow THE ONE EVERYBODY WANTS A PICTURE WITH.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears'
• Common Name: Plantain Lily, Hosta
• Height: 15–20 cm (6–8 in) foliage, with flower stems to about 30 cm (12 in)
• Spread: 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
• Flowers: Lavender bells on short, sturdy scapes
• Bloom Time: Midsummer (July to August)
• Foliage: Small, rounded, very thick blue-grey to blue-green leaves
• Features: Miniature size, slug resistant, Hosta of the Year 2008, RHS Award of Garden Merit

Where to Plant: Use it where you can see it up close: the front edge of a shady bed, a rock garden, a trough, a fairy garden, or a container on a shady step. A row makes a neat little edging, and since a small plant disappears in one bite, protect it if deer or rabbits visit.

Companion Plants: Tuck 'Blue Mouse Ears' at the front of a moist, shady bed with gold sedge and a tall cinnamon fern behind. Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' opens raspberry-pink flowers at 30 to 35 cm in April and May. Heuchera 'Autumn Bride' adds big green leaves and white flowers at 45 to 50 cm from August to October. Osmundastrum cinnamomeum rises behind at 90 to 150 cm with cinnamon fern fronds. Carex 'Bowles Golden' brings bright gold blades at 60 to 90 cm.

Plant Care: Plant in part sun to full shade, in moist, rich, well-drained soil. Small hostas don't like competing with big roots, so keep it clear of thirsty shrubs and large perennials. Water in dry spells and mulch lightly. Cut spent flower scapes and clear the leaves after a hard frost. It slowly forms a dense clump that can be divided in spring.

History: Emerson and Jane Deckert found 'Blue Mouse Ears' as a sport of Hosta 'Blue Cadet' and registered it in 2000, and it quickly became one of the best-known miniatures. The American Hosta Growers Association named it Hosta of the Year in 2008, and it has since given rise to a whole family of mouse ears sports.

Final Thoughts: Perfect for pots, rock gardens and the front edge of the shade. The slugs leave it alone. THE CAT IS OFFICIALLY CONFUSED.