Hosta 'Great Expectations'

Hosta 'Great Expectations': Bold Cream Centres Worth the Wait

Creamy yellow centres, wide blue-green edges and puckered leaves thick enough to mean business. 'Great Expectations' has a name that sets the bar high, AND IT CLEARS IT WITH ROOM TO SPARE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hosta sieboldiana 'Great Expectations'
• Common Name: Plantain lily, hosta
• Height: 60–75 cm (24–29 in)
• Spread: 120–150 cm (4–5 ft)
• Flowers: Near-white and bell-shaped, on stems just above the leaves
• Bloom Time: Early summer (June to July)
• Foliage: Thick, rounded, puckered leaves with a creamy yellow centre and a wide blue-green margin; the centre fades to cream as summer goes on

Where to Plant: Use it as a specimen in a shady bed where people can see the leaf pattern up close, or toward the back of a woodland border. It holds its own as a single plant and doesn't need a crowd.

Companion Plants: Astilbe 'Little Vision in Pink' fits in front at 35 to 40 cm, and its fluffy pink plumes in July and August pick up just as the hosta's white flowers finish. Further back, Cimicifuga 'Chocoholic' lifts pink spires to 120 cm from August to October. Brunnera 'Jack of Diamonds' opens blue flowers in April and May and adds a second set of large leaves at a lower height. The planting moves from blue in spring to pink in late summer, all in the same shade.

Plant Care: Plant it in rich, moist, well-drained soil with lots of compost. It wants real shade, with only gentle morning sun at most. Keep it watered through dry summers; consistent moisture keeps it growing steadily. It is a slow grower and can take several years to reach full size, so resist moving it around. Deer and rabbits eat hostas, so protect it where they roam. Cut the flower stems after bloom and remove the leaves after a hard frost. Divide rarely, and only in early spring.

History: 'Great Expectations' arose as a sport of Hosta 'Elegans' at the Savill Garden in England, where John Bond found it, and Paul Aden of New York registered it on Bond's behalf in 1988. It quickly became a collector favourite, known for its bold centre and equally known for its slow pace.

Final Thoughts: Give it shade and a few years and it'll repay you in spades. LOWER YOUR STANDARDS FOR NOTHING.