Hosta Purple Heart

Hosta Purple Heart is a recent variety that stands out for its unusual foliage: its heart-shaped leaves display a very bright lime green colour, accentuated by a touch of purple at the base that extends down to the petiole. Forming a lovely bushy clump, it is adorned with summer flowering bells in a fairly deep mauve color that are also charming. Perennial, hardy, and unattractive to gastropods, this Hosta is perfect for brightening up shaded areas of the garden.

Hostas belong to the Lily family. Originating from Japan and China, there are no less than forty species and countless horticultural varieties appreciated for their foliage. The Hosta is a herbaceous and deciduous perennial plant that is easy to grow in ordinary but moist soil, preferably in shade.

This variety 'Purple Heart' is quite recent, it was selected in the U.S.A by Terra Nova Nurseries for its vigour, compact and dense habit, as well as its unprecedented colours. The plant bears beautiful thick, shiny, elongated heart-shaped leaves, with a wavy texture, 15 cm (6in) long, of a lime green colour, carried by petioles of a dark purple, almost black, at the base. The purple colour extends to the base of the central vein of each leaf. The flowering takes place at the end of summer, usually in August-September. From the clump of leaves emerge reddish to grey-violet stems, 38 cm (15in) tall, bearing fairly deep mauve flowers; about thirty slightly trailing bells for a mature plant. This variety also shows good resistance to diseases and slugs. Hostas are very long-lived plants that can live for many years in the garden.

Hosta Purple Heart, with its lovely compact habit, is very decorative in borders or as edging but also in pots. Combine it with other varieties, as well as with foamflowers and brunneras at the base of a large tree to create a sumptuous mass of foliage. It will also associate well with many perennials such as astilbes, Japanese ferns, epimediums, and purple bugbanes with which it forms beautiful duos that require little maintenance. Its foliage will conceal the gaps left by spring-flowering bulbs. It will also be advantageous in the company of lungworts, 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 keeping the moisture level constant in summer.