Hosta 'Bressingham Blue'

Hosta 'Bressingham Blue': Puckered Blue Cups from an English Legend

Large, round blue leaves, cupped and puckered with a chalky finish underneath, like it wore sensible shoes to a cocktail party and pulled it off. 'Bressingham Blue' is OLD MONEY IN LEAF FORM.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hosta 'Bressingham Blue'
• Common Name: Plantain Lily, Hosta
• Height: 70–75 cm (28–30 in)
• Spread: 120–150 cm (4–5 ft)
• Flowers: Near white, on scapes held just above the leaves
• Bloom Time: Early to midsummer (June to July)
• Foliage: Large, almost round, thick blue leaves, cupped and puckered, with a whitish bloom on the undersides
• Features: Good slug resistance

Where to Plant: Plant it as a specimen, a shade-garden anchor, or a broad blue mass under trees, and in a big yard, plant three in a loose triangle for a cool blue island. It tolerates black walnut, but deer and rabbits will eat it, so plan accordingly.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Bressingham Blue' in a moist, shady bed with lavender epimedium, painted fern and white astilbe. Epimedium 'Lilafee' opens lavender-violet flowers at 25 to 30 cm in April and May. Athyrium niponicum var. pictum adds silvery painted fern fronds at 45 cm. Astilbe 'Vision in White' brings creamy white plumes at 45 to 60 cm in July and August. Liriope 'Royal Purple' edges the front with grass-like leaves and purple spikes at 30 to 45 cm.

Plant Care: Plant in part sun to full shade, in moist, rich, well-drained soil. Keep it out of hot afternoon sun so the blue stays blue. Water deeply in dry spells and mulch to keep the soil cool. Give it room to reach full width over a few seasons. Remove flower scapes after bloom, clear the leaves after a hard frost, and divide in spring if needed.

History: 'Bressingham Blue' was registered in 1984 by Alan Bloom, the English nurseryman behind Bressingham Gardens in Norfolk, whose name appears on many classic perennials. It is a hybrid of Hosta sieboldiana, the Japanese species behind most big, blue, puckered hostas.

Final Thoughts: Shade, decent soil and a spot where it can spread out and look dignified. The slugs mostly decline the invitation. CLASS NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE.