Hosta Volcano Island

Hosta Volcano Island is a beautiful improvement on the 'Paradise Island' cultivar, surpassing it with the vigour of its upright habit, its more pronounced colour, and the thick texture of its leaves. Gathered in a large cluster, its leaves are yellow, turning chartreuse-green, bordered with green flames and carried by long pink-red petioles. Its summer flowering is lavender in colour. This perennial is perfect for shaded and cool areas of the garden or terrace. Volcano Island tolerates the morning sun, in moist soil.

Hostas belong to the Liliaceae 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 soil, preferably in shade. Its growth emerges from the ground in spring and disappears in winter.

This Hosta 'Volcano Island' forms an upright clump. The plant bears beautiful slightly glossy and puckered basal leaves, elongated, heart-shaped, veined, with a pointed tip. Each leaf is carried by a dark red petiole that becomes brownish over time. The growth reaches about 35cm (14in) in height and 60cm (24in) in width at maturity. Flowering occurs in late summer, generally in August-September. From the clump of leaves emerge very dark stems measuring 58cm (23in) in height, bearing purple flowers. Hostas are very long-lived plants that can live for many years in the garden.

The Hosta Volcano Island is highly decorative in borders or as a container plant. Combine it with other varieties, as well as 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, requiring little maintenance. Its foliage will cover the gaps left by spring-flowering bulbs. It will also thrive alongside lungworts, small violets... All hostas grow well in pots and can remain in the same container for several years. Choose a special geranium potting soil to use during the growing season. 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, maintaining a constant level of water in summer.