Hosta Enterprise

The Hosta 'Enterprise' is a superb cultivar with variegated foliage. It is a plant for partial and full shade that forms a very contrasting bushy clump, with cream-white and dark green leaves, punctuated with chartreuse green. They are well veined, giving them a embossed appearance. Its summer flowering, with spikes adorned with bell-shaped flowers in shades of mauve, adds to its charm. In the garden or in a large pot on the terrace, it attracts attention with its very bright foliage. Good resistance to slugs.

This Hosta, or Funkia 'Enterprise' is a completely hardy perennial plant that belongs to the lily family or hosta family. It comes from Hosta 'Captain Kirk'. This medium-sized variety shows, from spring onwards, a bushy clump habit. The plant, mature in 4 years, reaches 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20in) in height and 50 to 70 cm (20 to 28in) in width, if the conditions are right. Its leaves, embossed and well veined, are cordate (heart-shaped) and ovate, measuring 15 cm (6in) long and 10 cm (4in) wide. They are a bright cream-white colour, with a fairly thick dark green margin. Transitional streaks of chartreuse green appear in early summer. The flowering takes place in July-August, in the form of elongated mauve-coloured bells. This perennial spreads by stolons, in the same way as strawberries. It is a long-lived plant.

On the edge of a woodland, sheltered from the wind, where the soil is deep and fertile, this Hosta pairs nicely, in partial shade or shade, with ferns, meadowsweets, and Claytonia sibirica, creating beautiful colourful duos that require little maintenance. It will also be advantageous in the company of acteas with purple foliage, columbines, and tall foxgloves. Perennials with white or fresh green flowering complement its variegation nicely. All hostas grow well in pots and can remain in the same container for several years. Choose a special geranium 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 where you pour the water, keeping the level constant in summer.