Hosta 'Rainbow's End'

Hosta 'Rainbow's End': Streaky Gold with Late Red-Stemmed Flowers

Glossy yellow centres streaked with green, wrapped in dark green edges. 'Rainbow's End' is where you finally find the pot of gold, and IT DIDN'T EVEN MAKE YOU CHASE IT.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hosta 'Rainbow's End'
• Common Name: Plantain Lily, Hosta
• Height: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Spread: 50–60 cm (20–24 in)
• Flowers: Lavender-purple, on red stems about 40–48 cm (16–19 in) tall
• Bloom Time: Late summer (August to September)
• Foliage: Glossy, thick leaves with dark green margins and yellow centres streaked with green, fading to cream in summer
• Features: Slug resistant, Hosta of the Year 2021

Where to Plant: Use it at the front of a shady border, along a path, or in a container where you can see the streaking up close. It's a good size for small city yards and narrow side beds, and its late flowers keep the bed interesting after many shade plants are done.

Companion Plants: Brunnera macrophylla opens blue flowers in April and May at 30 to 45 cm, a cheerful start before this small hosta gets going. Behind it, Cimicifuga 'Chocoholic' rises to 120 cm with pink spires from August to October, flowering alongside the hosta's late lavender blooms. Adiantum pedatum adds airy, delicate fronds that soften the hosta's glossy leaves. All three suit the same full shade to part sun.

Plant Care: Plant in part sun to full shade, in moist, well-drained soil with lots of organic matter. A few hours of morning sun brings out the brightest colour; afternoon shade keeps the leaves from scorching. Water regularly in its first summer and in dry spells. Deer and rabbits will eat hostas, so use a repellent or fencing if they visit. The thick leaves help it shrug off most slug damage. Cut off the flower stems after bloom and clear the foliage after a hard frost. Divide in spring once the clump is well established.

History: Hans Hansen found 'Rainbow's End' at Shady Oaks Nursery in Minnesota as a tissue culture sport of Hosta 'Obsession', and it was registered in 2005 and received U.S. Plant Patent 17,251 in 2006. The American Hosta Growers Association named it Hosta of the Year in 2021.

Final Thoughts: Compact, slug resistant and still flowering when everything else has packed up. Plant it and STRIKE GOLD IN THE SHADE.