Hosta Flowers

Hosta flowers are a bit like marmite, we have many customers who frequently ask what colour flowers certain hostas have and which ones are better than others but we have plenty of customers who will cut flowers straight off at the earliest possibility. Our honest opinion is that we grow hostas for the foliage and what the flower looks like very rarely comes into our thinking. There are a few varieties however that we grow due to their scent or double flower. We have another article on scented flowers here.

When do hostas flower and for how long?

Different varieties of hosta will flower at different time but it is usually between June and August. Most hosta flowers only look good for a short time and they will then start to drop their petals and form seed pot. When the flowers start to drop this can be messy as petals will sit on the leaves and often course discolouration. Some of the best flowers will only flower for a couple of week at their best. If you remove the flowers as they go over, it is possible to get further flower growth.

Can I use the hosta seeds?

Hostas do not come true from seed, they will generally be rather plain green and non descript. Saying this, some clever hybridisers around the world will cross pollinate different varieties together and this can produce new interesting varieties. A good example of this is Bob Solberg in the United States, he has produce some special varieties like 'First Blush' and 'Curly Fries' both from seed.

Should I cut hosta flowers off?

Can you...yes. Should you...it's completely up to you. If you don't like hosta flowers then there is no reason to leave them on. Cutting them off can often neaten the plant up and will also help improve root and foliage growth. Do ensure that when you are cutting hosta flowers off you disinfect between each plant as this is one way that viruses and diseases can be spread around your plants. We use either a flame (see below) or regular disinfectant such as bleach to make sure our tools are sterile.