A white centred Hosta falls under the category of a Medio-Variegated Hosta.
A variegated Hosta is a Hosta that has 2 or 3 or even more colours in the leaf. The colours can be green, blue, yellow, white, cream. They can form blotches or patterns, or even stripes on the leaves.
Variegated Hostas are extremely popular for their attractive foliage.
A Hosta with a paler or lighter centre than the margin is often known as mediovariegated. The variegated leaf containing white is very popular.
An awful lot of people are quite naturally drawn to white-centred Hostas, as the leaf contrast in usually very striking. Let’s face it, they are stunning.
The issue with the white-centred Hostas is that there is no chlorophyll in the white tissue. The white part of the Hosta cannot produce food for the roots and needs to be supported by the green parts of the leaf. The more white in the leaf, the less chlorophyl is produced.
As you can imagine the more white tissue in the leaf, then the harder the plant is to grow. The fact is that these Hostas don’t always perform as well as intended and sometimes they don’t survive.
Don’t just give up on trying them. There are many reasons and factors that can aid you in your quest to grow them.
Sunlight
It is true that white-centred Hostas will demand more light than other Hostas, but, it needs to be indirect sun. Morning sun is not as direct as the hot mid-day sun. Direct sun can burn the leaf, starting with the white part of the leaf. It doesn't take as much sun to burn them as a green or blue Hosta.
If these Hostas are sited in a bright, indirect, morning sun location it helps the plant produce energy for the roots. A bright filtered sun during the day can be a great location.
If you have a mostly shaded location, then white-centred Hostas might not be what you want to plant there, although there are exceptions.
White-centred Hostas with thicker leaves perform great in the shade garden. Examples we have are Hosta American Sweetheart, Hosta Ann Kulpa, Hosta Hosta Night Before Christmas, Hosta Undulate Univittata
Moisture
The white-centred Hostas also need an adequate amount of water to help them perform. The only way some of the white-centred Hostas will reach their potential size is if they receive enough sun and water in a location with good fertile soil.
The maximum stated size that each Hosta could likely reach at maturity is very dependent on location and is much more important with the white-centred Hostas. White-centred Hostas will generally be smaller than the listed sizes because of the factors listed above.
Don’t be put off. For the casual gardener these Hostas can easily be quite a disappointment, if not sited correctly, but for the avid Hosta grower these are the treasured plants, that we try multiple times in multiple locations until we get it right. It is often worth all that extra effort.
Four more favourites Hosta Fire & Ice, Hosta Lakeside Meter Maid, Hosta Hans and Hosta Coloured Hulk
Look upon growing white centred Hostas as a challenge, rather than to dismiss them from your selection. Be more educated and have a better understanding of them, to assist in your successful growing, of a healthy clump of, as an example, Hosta Fire & Ice.
Yes, you may get frustrated at times and maybe try multiple times to achieve success, but when you get it right, the feeling is great.
That’s the sign of a dedicated Hosta grower! Is this You?
To learn more about Hostas, you may be interested in reading : What Are the Common Mistakes to Avoid When Growing Hostas?, Ways to Protect Your Hostas from Slugs and Snails and 8 Stages of Hosta Addiction
Shop for Hostas HERE
John Plant
Rewela Hostas
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