Hosta 'Fire Island'

Hosta 'Fire Island': Gold Leaves on Ketchup-Red Stems

Electric yellow-gold leaves on deep red stems, like somebody lit the shade garden with road flares. 'Fire Island' arrives in spring BURNING BRIGHT and mellows to green once it's made its point.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hosta 'Fire Island'
• Common Name: Plantain Lily, Hosta
• Height: 35–40 cm (14–16 in)
• Spread: 75–90 cm (29–35 in)
• Flowers: Pale lavender, on reddish stems
• Bloom Time: Late summer (August)
• Foliage: Pointed, slightly wavy leaves, bright yellow-gold in spring and maturing to chartreuse or medium green, on deep maroon-red leaf stems

Where to Plant: Plant it near the front of a shady border or beside a path, where the red stems are easy to see. It's also a great fit for a container on a shaded porch, at eye level.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Fire Island' in a moist, shady bed where its gold leaves and red stems pop beside silver and dark purple. Epimedium 'Niveum' opens small white flowers at 20 to 30 cm in April and May. Athyrium 'Ghost' adds silvery fern fronds at 60 cm. Ligularia 'Othello' brings golden-orange daisies over purple-backed leaves at 90 to 120 cm from July to September. Carex 'Ice Dance' edges the front with white-edged blades at 30 cm.

Plant Care: Plant it in moist, rich, well-drained soil with compost mixed in. The spring gold is brightest with a little morning sun, but shade it from the hot afternoon sun. Water deeply during dry spells, especially in the first year. Deer and rabbits like hostas, so use a repellent or fencing if they visit. Slugs may chew a few holes. Remove flower stems after blooming and clean up the leaves after a hard frost. Divide in early spring when the shoots emerge, if you want more plants.

History: 'Fire Island' was bred by Bill Brincka of Indiana from a cross of Hosta longipes var. hypoglauca and Hosta 'Crested Surf', and registered in 1998. The red stems come from the longipes side of the family, a group of Japanese hostas known for coloured leaf stalks.

Final Thoughts: Mid-sized, low effort and impossible to ignore in a dark corner. Plant a few and watch it turn into THE HOT SPOT OF THE SHADE.