P00 Hosta montana 'Aureomarginata' from The Hosta Helper

H. montana 'Aureomarginata'

This gold margined sport of the species was found in Japan by Dr. Fumio Maekawa around 1940 and registered by The American Hosta Society in 1987. At that time, its name was the hyphenated H. montana 'Aureo-marginata' but it was changed by Schmid (1991) to its current name, H. montana 'Aureomarginata' to conform with plant naming conventions of the time.

This large size (27 inches high by 68 inches wide) plant is known for its upright, vase-shape. The leaves have deeply impressed veins, are slightly wavy and faintly corrugated. The bright yellow on the leaf fades to chartreuse as the season progresses. Very pale lavender flowers bloom in late July. The flowers are subtended by whitish bracts.

According to The Hostapedia by Mark Zilis (2009), this cultivar "...ranks near the top of any hosta list due to its brightly colored foliage, large size, and attractive flowers. In the landscape it makes an impact and can become a focal point if sited properly."

This beautiful hosta is one of the earliest types to emerge from the ground in the spring. To avoid frost damage to the leaves, you may need to give it a covering when early spring frosts are predicted for your area.

An article by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (2000 Vol. 31 No. 1) states that, "H. montana 'Auroeomarginata' (AHS - 87). With its wide gold border, this large hosta is a harbinger of spring, but note that because it emerges from the ground very early it can get nipped by frost."

A Photo Essay article by Steve Chamberlain in The Hostta Journal (2010 Vol. 41 No. 1) makes comments about H. montana 'Aureomarginata', "The species H. montana is common on the islands of Japan. Undoubtedly it has sported to the edge-variegated form numerous times, and it is likely that not all the forms of H. montana 'Aureomarginata' in commerce are identical."