Guacamole hosta

Sun

Partial shade, ideally with morning sun and afternoon shade. It tolerates more sun than many hostas if the soil stays moist, but hot afternoon sun can scorch the leaves.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply during dry spells, especially beneath trees and in containers.

Soil

Humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil with good drainage; tolerates acidic to mildly alkaline conditions.

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

Late summer into early autumn; fragrant, tubular, nearly white flowers, sometimes with a pale lavender tint.

Foliage

Large, broadly oval to heart-shaped leaves with prominent veins, apple-green to yellow-green centres and irregular dark green margins. Centre colour becomes brighter with some morning sun; foliage dies back in autumn.

Growth

Moderate; develops a substantial clump over several growing seasons.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

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 when the soil begins to dry; do not let newly planted clumps dry out.
• Apply compost around the clump in spring, with a light balanced feed if growth is weak.
• Mulch to conserve moisture, keeping mulch clear of the emerging shoots and crown.
• Allow room for the mature spread rather than planting tightly against neighbouring perennials.
• Divide in early spring only when you want more plants or need to reduce an oversized clump.

Pruning. Cut spent flower stems back to the base unless you want seed. Remove collapsed foliage after autumn frost, or before new shoots emerge in spring.

Early spring

Clear old foliage before shoots emerge; divide established clumps if needed.

Spring

Plant new hostas, top-dress with compost and mulch around, but not over, the crown.

Spring

Check emerging shoots for slug and snail damage and protect them promptly.

Summer

Water deeply during dry weather and watch for scorched leaf edges in exposed positions.

Late summer

Enjoy the fragrant flowers; remove faded stems when flowering finishes.

Late autumn

Remove collapsed leaves and debris that can shelter slugs.

• Plant in groups along shaded paths, where the bright leaf centres make a clear, low edging.
• Combine with ferns and fine-leaved sedges for contrasting leaf shapes in a woodland border.
• Use as a broad-leaved foreground plant beneath shrubs where soil moisture can be maintained.
• Grow in a large, well-drained container near a shaded seating area to enjoy the fragrant flowers.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Japanese, English country, Modern courtyard, Sensory garden and Green on green.

Plant it with: Japanese painted fern, Japanese forest grass, Astilbe, Coral bells, Siberian bugloss and Solomon's seal.

Wildlife: The flowers attract bees and, in North America, may attract hummingbirds. Deer, slugs and snails also feed on the plant.

• Slugs and snails chew holes in leaves and can destroy emerging shoots. Hand-pick after dark, reduce nearby hiding places and use labelled iron phosphate bait where needed.
• Deer browse the foliage. Use fencing or protect individual plants; repellents need repeated application.
• Dry soil and strong afternoon sun cause brown margins and scorched patches. Water deeply, mulch and move the plant to afternoon shade if damage recurs.
• Hosta virus X can cause irregular mottling, distorted leaves or dark colour bleeding along veins. There is no cure: remove infected plants, do not divide them, and disinfect cutting tools between plants.

All parts contain saponins and are toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten, usually causing vomiting, diarrhoea or abdominal discomfort. It is not generally regarded as poisonous to people, but this ornamental cultivar should not be treated as a food plant.

• Fragrant Bouquet hosta (Hosta 'Fragrant Bouquet')

  This parent cultivar has green leaf centres with cream to pale yellow margins; 'Guacamole' has the reverse effect, with brighter centres and dark green margins.

• Stained Glass hosta (Hosta 'Stained Glass')

  This sport of 'Guacamole' has more strongly golden-yellow centres and a sharper contrast with the dark green margins; 'Guacamole' is usually more apple-green.

Hosta honours Austrian botanist Nicolaus Thomas Host, while 'Guacamole' refers to the avocado-like green colouring of the leaves.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in early spring as shoots emerge, keeping roots and at least one healthy growing point on each division. Seed does not reliably produce plants identical to 'Guacamole'.

Accepted botanical name

Hosta

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