Gold Standard hosta

Sun

Partial shade or bright, filtered shade; gentle morning sun improves the gold colour. Avoid hot afternoon sun, especially in warmer climates.

Water

Keep evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply during dry spells; plants beneath trees and in containers need more frequent checks.

Soil

Humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil with good drainage; tolerates acidic, neutral and mildly alkaline soils.

Height

1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m) in leaf; flower stems to about 3 ft (0.9 m)

Spread

3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m)

Flowers

Pale lavender, funnel-shaped flowers on upright stems in mid to late summer.

Foliage

Broad, heart-shaped, prominently veined leaves emerge with chartreuse centres that become golden yellow as the season progresses, bordered by irregular dark green. Colour remains greener in deep shade.

Growth

Moderate; develops a substantial clump over several years.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.2 ft (0.37 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.7 ft (0.53 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water at soil level during dry weather, keeping the root zone moist without leaving it saturated.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring; use a balanced fertiliser only if growth is weak or soil is poor.
• Mulch around the clump to conserve moisture, keeping mulch clear of the crowns.
• Protect emerging shoots from slugs and snails before leaves unfurl.
• Divide in spring only when you want more plants or the clump has outgrown its space; routine division is unnecessary.

Pruning. Cut spent flower stems down to the base unless you want seed. Remove leaves once they have yellowed and collapsed in autumn, taking away debris that shelters slugs.

Early spring

Clear old debris and begin slug and snail protection as shoots emerge.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, water thoroughly and apply compost and mulch.

Late spring

Check that expanding leaves have enough room and that nearby tree roots are not leaving the soil dry.

Summer

Water deeply during dry spells and watch for scorched leaf edges.

Late summer

Remove faded flower stems if you do not want seed.

Late autumn

Remove collapsed foliage after it dies back naturally.

• Plant in groups beneath deciduous trees where the soil stays moist, using the gold leaves to brighten filtered shade.
• Combine with ferns and dark-leaved hellebores for contrasting leaf shapes and colours.
• Use along a shaded path, allowing room for the mature leaves to spread without blocking access.
• Grow in a large container in a shaded courtyard, where its patterned leaves can be seen closely.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Japanese, Cottage garden, Traditional, Green on green and Modern courtyard.

Plant it with: Japanese painted fern, Christmas fern, Hellebore, Astilbe, Siberian bugloss and Solomon's seal.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar for bees and may attract hummingbirds in North America. Deer, slugs and snails commonly feed on the foliage.

• Slugs and snails chew holes in leaves, especially young growth: hand-pick after dark, remove nearby hiding places and use labelled iron-phosphate bait where needed.
• Deer may eat most of the foliage: use effective fencing or a suitable repellent, reapplied as directed.
• Hosta virus X can cause unusual mottling, puckering or dark colour bleeding along veins: remove infected plants, do not propagate them and disinfect cutting tools between plants.
• Hot sun and dry soil cause bleached patches and brown leaf edges: provide afternoon shade, water deeply and mulch to retain moisture.

Leaves, stems and roots contain saponins and are toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten, usually causing vomiting, diarrhoea or other digestive upset. Hostas are not generally considered poisonous to people, but this ornamental cultivar is not recommended for eating.

• Striptease hosta (Hosta 'Striptease')

  Usually has a narrower gold or chartreuse centre separated from the broad green margin by a distinctive thin white line; Gold Standard lacks that consistent white outline.

• Francee hosta (Hosta 'Francee')

  Has green leaf centres with narrow white margins, rather than gold centres with dark-green margins.

Hosta honours the Austrian botanist Nicolaus Thomas Host.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in early spring as shoots emerge, keeping several healthy buds and roots on each piece. Seedlings will not reliably retain the cultivar's gold-centred, green-edged leaves.

Accepted botanical name

Hosta

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.