Hosta 'Vulcan'

Hosta 'Vulcan': Cream, Green and Chartreuse All Together

White centres, dark green edges and streaks of chartreuse and yellow in between, like a lava flow frozen mid-eruption. 'Vulcan' erupts in colour in the deepest shade. EVACUATION NOT REQUIRED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hosta 'Vulcan'
• Common Name: Plantain Lily, Hosta
• Height: 50–56 cm (20–22 in), with flower scapes to about 61 cm (24 in)
• Spread: 80–90 cm (31–36 in)
• Flowers: Pale lavender, funnel-shaped, on scapes above the leaves
• Bloom Time: Mid to late summer (July to August)
• Foliage: Broad, heart-shaped leaves with a white centre, wide dark green margins and chartreuse to yellow streaks between

Where to Plant: Use it as a focal point in the middle of a shade border, or repeat it down a long bed to carry light through the planting. Protect it if deer and rabbits patrol your street.

Companion Plants: Give 'Vulcan' a moist, shady bed with ivory hellebores, pale pink astilbe and orange ligularia. Helleborus 'Ivory Prince' opens ivory flowers at 30 to 45 cm from March to May. Astilbe 'Glitter and Glamour' adds pale pink plumes at 70 cm in June and July. Ligularia 'Britt-Marie Crawford' brings dark leaves and golden-orange daisies at 90 to 120 cm in August and September. Carex appalachica carpets the front with fine native blades at 15 to 30 cm.

Plant Care: Plant in spring or early fall in moist, rich, well-drained soil. On heavy clay, work in compost to loosen it up. Water deeply through the first summer, and again in long dry spells. White-centred leaves are the most sensitive part of any hosta. Keep it out of hot afternoon sun so the centres don't scorch. Morning sun is fine. Cut off the flower scapes after blooming if you like a tidy clump. Remove the foliage after a hard frost or in early spring. Divide in early spring, just as the shoots poke through, if you want more plants.

History: 'Vulcan' is a sport of Hosta 'Captain Kirk', selected by hybridizer Hans Hansen and introduced by Walters Gardens of Michigan. With a parent named 'Captain Kirk', the Star Trek connection is hard to miss.

Final Thoughts: Low maintenance and about as bright as a hosta gets. Plant it where the shade is darkest and WATCH IT RUMBLE.