Red October Hosta

Other Names: Plantain Lily, Funkia

Description:

Versatile medium-green leaves are lance-shaped and slightly rippled with interesting red stems; provides beautiful texture and contrast to other plants; purple spikes of flowers in mid to late summer

Ornamental Features:

Red October Hosta features dainty spikes of purple tubular flowers rising above the foliage from mid to late summer. It's attractive textured narrow leaves remain green in colour throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant. The brick red stems are very effective and add winter interest.

Landscape Attributes:

Red October Hosta is a dense herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance perennial, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

Red October Hosta is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Mass Planting
• Groundcover

Plant Characteristics:

Red October Hosta will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 28 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This perennial does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This plant can be propagated by division.

This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.