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Hosta nigrescens
aka Kuro Gibōshi (Black hosta with tall stature)
 

This slow growing species is noted for its giant size (30 inches high by 66 inches high), vase shaped mounds of cupped blue-green foliage. The leaves are broadly ovate shaped, moderately corrugated and have thick substance. It has very tall (about 6 feet high) flower scapes with pale lavender blooms from late July into mid-August followed by some viable seeds.

According to The Hostapedia by Mark Zilis (2009), "It has proven to be an outstanding, "impact" plant in the shade gardens throughout the U.S. H. nigrescens makes an excellent background plant and can be a magnificent focal point of an island bed."

The New Encyclopedia of Hostas by Diana Grenfell (2009) states: "Moderate growth rate...Small hostas and other ground-covering plants can be grown at its feet...Shoots emerge darkly colored, almost black. Scapes tower above the foliage mound."

W. George Schmid in his Hosta Species Update on The Hosta Library (2007) says, "H. nigrescens...and H. ‘Tenryu’ are morphologically the same. There are slight differences in the flower color, H. ‘Tenryu’ has white flowers shading to a very light mauve with barely darker stripes, while H. nigrescens has almost white flowers. The anthers of both are bi-color purple. In this Species Update they are considered the same.

"H.nigrescens was obtained in Japan by the late Gus Krossa, who imported many hostas from Japan and Europe obtaining them from academic sources and collectors the world over. His connections to Osaka University brought a number of wild taxa into the United States. He numbered H. nigrescens as B-5 and it appeared in Summers (1972) as Summers No. 111; 1967."
 

1 37.0 1991 #37




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