Hosta 'Earth Angel'

Hosta 'Earth Angel': A Cream-Edged Giant for the Back Row

Huge, heart-shaped blue-green leaves trimmed in wide creamy edges, like the sweetheart from an old doo-wop song. 'Earth Angel' is big, devoted and WILL BE YOURS FOREVER, NO SERENADE REQUIRED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hosta 'Earth Angel'
• Common Name: Plantain Lily, Hosta
• Height: 75–90 cm (29–35 in)
• Spread: 120–150 cm (4–5 ft)
• Flowers: Pale lavender, bell-shaped
• Bloom Time: Early to midsummer (June to July)
• Foliage: Large, thick, heart-shaped blue-green leaves with wide creamy yellow to white margins
• Features: Hosta of the Year 2009

Where to Plant: Give it room as an anchor for the back of a shade border, a specimen under a big tree or a statement plant at the corner of a north-facing foundation. One plant fills a lot of space, which makes it good value for a large bed.

Companion Plants: Phlox divaricata 'May Breeze' flowers white in May and June at 30 to 40 cm, just as the big hosta leaves unfurl. Astilbe 'Little Vision in Pink' adds pink plumes at 35 to 40 cm in July and August. Liriope 'Royal Purple' edges the bed with purple flowers in August and September and a grassy leaf. Set them all in front of this large hosta in shade to partial sun.

Plant Care: Plant it in moist, rich, well-drained soil, and space it generously so it can reach full size. Blue hostas hold their colour best in shade, so keep it out of strong afternoon sun. Water deeply during dry spells, especially while it settles in. Big hostas take a few years to reach full size, so be patient. Deer and rabbits like hostas, so protect it where they visit. Cut off the flower stems after blooming and remove the leaves after a hard frost. Divide it in early spring if it outgrows its space, though most gardeners just let it be.

History: 'Earth Angel' is a sport of the big blue Hosta 'Blue Angel', discovered in tissue culture by Hans Hansen of Shady Oaks Nursery in Minnesota and registered in 2002. The American Hosta Growers Association named it Hosta of the Year in 2009.

Final Thoughts: Give it shade, a little elbow room and a few years to bulk up. Then sit back and let it soak up the praise. ABSOLUTE SWEETHEART.