Hosta Improved White Feather

Hosta 'Improved White Feather' is an improved version of the famous 'White Feather', appreciated for its white colour but not always easy to grow. This new cultivar is more robust, with a more upright habit and thicker leaves. The plant is taller, with leaves that stand upright towards the sky. They open in white, then develop green veins, and finally bloom in a mix of cream and green. This variety is also slightly more tolerant to the sun, but it thrives in shade.

Hostas belong to the Liliaceae family. Native to Japan and China, there are more than forty species and countless horticultural varieties appreciated for their foliage. Hosta is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows easily in ordinary soil, preferably in shade. Its vegetation emerges from the ground in spring and disappears in winter.

This Hosta 'Improved White Feather' is a creation by hybridizer Arie Blom, who spent five years developing it. The plant bears lanceolate leaves in the shape of an ace of spades, with a waxy texture. In this cultivar, the leaves remain upright. The plant reaches a height of about 60 cm and a width of 40 cm. The leaves that emerge in spring are cream white, with discreet veins that are barely green. Over days and weeks, the veins turn green and green streaks invade the leaf: in summer, the foliage is strongly variegated with green. Flowering usually occurs in July-August. From the clump of leaves 50cm stems emerge bearing pale mauve flowers loved by bees. This more robust variety aims to correct the flaws of 'White Feather', whose leaves are almost chlorophyll-free in spring and show slow growth and a certain fragility.

Hosta 'Improved White Feather' is stunning in borders, but also in pots. Place it in shade so that the white foliage does not burn in spring and its white colour is magnified bright. Combine it with other varieties of hostas with green or variegated foliage, as well as with tiarellas and brunneras at the base of a large tree to create a splendid foliage display. It pairs well with many perennials such as astilbes, Japanese ferns, epimediums, and purple cimicifugas, forming beautiful combinations that require little maintenance. Its foliage conceals the gaps left by spring-flowering bulbs. It also looks great alongside lungworts and small violets... All hostas grow well in pots and can remain in the same container for several years. Choose special potting soil. As long as the foliage is not too dense, you can water from the top of the pot. Then place a saucer under the pot and pour water into it, maintaining a constant level in summer.