Hosta Empress Wu

The Hosta 'Empress Wu' is undoubtedly the largest variety of hosta currently available. Still rare, this magnificent plant forms a majestic clump, reaching 1.30 m (4ft) in all directions, with a beautiful spreading habit. Its immense heart-shaped leaves are thick and wavy, with very pronounced veins that wonderfully enhance their green-blue color. It offers a somewhat timid flowering in summer, with sparse, pale lavender bells. This gentle monster deserves a prime location and appropriate growing conditions that will allow it to display all its splendor. A grandiose variety, with a superlative character, to be grown in fertile and moist, but well-drained soil, in partial shade or even in full shade.

This Hosta, or Funkia, is a completely hardy perennial, named in honor of the only empress who reigned over the Chinese empire. It belongs to the lily or hosta family. A cross between the Hosta 'Big John' and a large Japanese species called Hosta montana macrophylla, 'Empress Wu' was born in the United States in 2008. This large perennial shows, starting from spring, a wide clump habit. The plant, reaching maturity in 5 or 6 years, will reach a height of 1.30 m (4ft) and will spread just as much if the conditions are right. It is a long-lived plant, with deciduous foliage, whose strongly veined leaves emerge in a matte green-blue color in spring, in a rounded heart shape. They lose the waxy and bluish layer that covers them in summer, revealing a dark green color, slightly satin. The lamina, which measures more than 60 cm (24in) in length, is thick and slightly bumpy. This thick foliage is resistant to attacks from gastropods. The flowering takes place in June-July, in the form of small bells, clustered at the top of the peduncles that slightly emerge from the foliage. Each flower is supported by a large pale lavender bract. This perennial spreads through stolons, similar to strawberries.

The planting of the 'Empress Wu' Hosta must be carefully considered and wisely chosen. The volume that the mature plant will occupy makes it suitable for forming a mass on its own; for example, it can be installed as a standalone plant to highlight the curve of a shaded path, on the edge of a woodland, sheltered from the wind, where the soil is deep and fertile. This large hosta will blend well in partial shade with ferns, pigamons, and Claytonia sibirica, with which it forms beautiful colorful duos that require little maintenance. It will also be advantageous when combined with acteas with purple foliage, columbines, and tall foxgloves. All hostas grow well in pots and can remain in the same container for several years. A very large pot should be chosen for 'Empress Wu', and a special geranium potting soil should be used during the growing season. As long as the foliage is not too dense, watering from the top of the pot can be done. Then place a saucer under the pot where you will pour water, keeping the level constant in summer.

Most of the species spread in Western gardens have been introduced from Japan. Hostas are edible and are called 'urui' in Japan, where they are commonly consumed.