Guide to growing garden plants - Hosta Plantain Lily

Hosta is a genus of hardy perennials that like to grow in shady areas of the garden and reach heights ranging from 8 to 90cm.

They have beautiful leaves ranging from blue to green, and bell like flowers often of pink, white, and bluey purple.

Hosta flower in the summer months and common names include the Plantain lily and Funkia.

How to grow Plantain lily (Hosta)

Plantain Lily can be grown from either seeds or roots. These can be sown/buried in either spring or summer. Simply cover the seeds with topsoil and bury roots at about 10cm. They like to grow in a shaded area of the garden that has a moist slightly acidic to neutral pH of 5.5 to 7.

You can start Plantain lilies off indoors but it is fairly hit and miss. They take from two weeks to three months to germinate at 10 degrees centigrade. Once growing transplant out at the beginning of spring with a spacing of 45cm (small Plantain lily varieties) or 90 to 120cm (larger species).

Caring for Plantain Lilies

Once growing Plantain lilies should be watered frequently and fertilized a couple of times a year. If you require more plants then this can be done by division in at the beginning of spring or in the autumn; it is important not to do this too frequently, always grow for at least two years in between dividing Hosta plants.