Hosta Dancing Queen

Dancing Queen is a large, truly luminous yellow hosta that catches the eye in shady borders even in summer. Its thick, deeply veined foliage is bright yellow in spring, retaining a beautiful golden hue throughout the season, softening to a buttery yellow by late summer. Its large, heart-shaped leaves feature a very decorative, wavy margin, reminiscent of a swirling skirt. Slender flower stems bear lavender flowers in late summer. Very hardy and vigorous, designated Hosta of the Year 2020, this cultivar has few rivals for brightening up moist shade.

This Hosta, or Plantain Lily, is a completely hardy perennial from the Asparagaceae family. 'Dancing Queen' was obtained from a sowing of 'Split Personality', a hosta with strongly ruffled foliage, which is the origin of the wavy border of its leaves. Specialist sources cite Kent Terpening as the main breeder in the 2000s. It was quickly noted for the quality of its golden foliage and its good performance in the garden, to the point of being awarded by American professionals. The plant forms an open, wide, mound-shaped clump, with foliage reaching approximately 45 to 50 cm in height and 75 to 90 cm in diameter. Each leaf measures 30 to 33 cm long by 17 to 18 cm wide. The leaf blade is broadly heart-shaped, pointed at the tip, with a rounded base. Its surface is satiny, heavily veined, and puckered in places. The leaf margin is broadly wavy. The foliage colour evolves throughout the season: young leaves emerge a very bright yellow in spring, then stabilise to a luminous golden yellow. By late summer, they are buttery yellow, slightly tinged with light green depending on exposure and heat. To maintain the best yellow tones, it is advisable to provide bright partial shade with a few hours of gentle morning sun rather than dense shade. Between July and August, flower stems 60 to 70 cm tall rise above the clump. They bear clusters of tubular, bell-shaped, pale lavender mauve flowers. This thick-leaved hosta is reputed to be less attractive to slugs once well established. In 2020, its election as Hosta of the Year greatly contributed to its recognition among gardeners. It is universally considered the standard large yellow hosta.

Hosta 'Dancing Queen', clad entirely in gold, deserves a prime spot in a shady or partially shaded border, near a path or terrace. It can be planted in groups of three to form a wide, luminous cushion at the foot of a Japanese maple 'Orange Dream' and a small Cornus alba 'Miracle' dogwood. It pairs well with blue hostas like 'Halcyon' or 'Big Daddy', which provide a strong contrast in both colour and volume. To further enrich the foliage palette, opt for a heuchera 'Obsidian' and a Japanese painted fern Athyrium niponicum pictum 'Metallicum'. In a large pot on a shaded terrace, it becomes a focal point that irresistibly draws the eye.