Hosta Little Devil

Hosta 'Little Devil' charms with its small size and elegant foliage that forms a neat, vigorous clump. Its elongated leaves are adorned with a fine undulate creamy white margin, and in summer, it produces beautiful lavender flowers. Perfectly suited for container gardening, this hosta is easy to grow and thrives in moist soil, adding a truly unique touch to shaded areas of the garden.

This Hosta, Little Devil, is a hardy perennial belonging to the asparagus family. Likely derived from Hosta lancifolia, a Japanese and Korean species that it resembles, this plant reaches a height of only 12 to 15 cm (5 to 6in), spreading about 30 cm (12in). It forms a tight, low-growing clump. It is a long-lived plant that takes some time to establish. Its foliage is deciduous, emerging in spring and disappearing in winter. The lance-shaped leaves have almost no petiole. The lamina showcases various shades of green, with delicate pale yellow to creamy white margins. The flowering occurs in July-August, with pale lavender pendulous bell-shaped flowers clustered at the top of peduncles that can reach 25 cm (10in) in height.

Hosta 'Little Devil' pairs well with helxine, ferns, epimediums, and Claytonia sibirica, with which it forms beautiful colourful duos that require little maintenance. It will also be valuable when used as a small groundcover, in the company of columbines and painted Japanese ferns, or even small violets. All hostas grow well in pots and can remain in the same container for several years. 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 to keep the moisture level constant in summer.

Most hosta species commonly found in our gardens have been introduced from Japan. Hostas are edible and are known as urui in Japan, where they are commonly consumed.