Hosta Great Escape

Hosta 'Great Escape' is a medium size variety that stands out for its thick foliage starting out as green with a powdery appearance and then turning a rare intense blue shade with wide irregular white margins, offering a beautiful contrast that catches the eye, even in the shade! It is a vigorous deciduous perennial that forms a compact, spreading bushy clump and is well suited as a groundcover in damp and shady areas. The leaves form elongated heart shapes that are slightly undulate and lightly veined, with a nice thickness that resists attacks from slugs. It blooms from July to August with tall pale lavender bell-shaped flowers. It is best planted in a morning sun exposure, in damp but well-drained and rich soil.

This Hosta is a deciduous and very hardy perennial, with its leafy clump emerging only in spring. It belongs to the asparagus family. The plant will reach 40 cm (16in) in height and 80 cm (32in) in spread. It is a long-lived plant with elongated heart-shaped thick leaves that are nicely undulate, lightly veined, and taper to a point. Flower stems, 70 cm (28in) tall, emerge from the centre of its variegated foliage, from July to August, bearing clusters of pale lavender flowers in a bell-shaped form, with little fragrance.

Hostas thrive in damp, well-drained, and rich soils, and they absolutely dislike drought and scorching sunlight. Afternoon sun should be avoided as it can scorch the leaves of these perennials. In hotter and drier regions, a thick mulch should be applied. Hostas, with their generous and decorative foliage, are perfect for groundcover, borders, or shaded perennial borders, where other plants struggle to grow. They prefer sheltered and damp locations such as woodlands. Varieties with blue and green foliage tolerate dense shade better. Sun tends to make blue colors turn green. Lighter foliage thrives in partial shade, where their colours change and lightens with increased sunlight. In general, morning sun allows optimal development of these perennials and also enhances their flowering. Gastropods (slugs and snails) are particularly fond of these fleshy perennials.  Contemporary hybridisations aim to create hostas that are increasingly resistant to their attacks.

Combine them in groups with other hostas, ferns, delphiniums, Solomon's seal, and other low-growing groundcover perennials such as creeping bugle, geraniums, and lamiums. All of these are highly effective as slug repellents. The silver-leaved Brunnera macrophylla Mr Morse, which is familiar in woodland settings, makes an excellent companion. Also consider Heucheras with their wonderful range of colours, or the delicate flowers of Epimediums. The golden foliage contrasts beautifully with their red and orange tones. Hostas also thrive in pots that should be placed in partial shade and watered regularly. Hostas complement spring bulbs, appearing in late spring to cover faded plants with their generous foliage! Plant them around a pond with persicarias, carex, and astilbes. The blue-toned leaves harmonise perfectly with the red and purple foliage of Japanese maples.

Did you know: Most of the species commonly found in Western gardens were introduced from Japan. Hostas are edible and are known as urui in Japan, where they are commonly consumed.