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Although they do not come in a large array of colors, most hostas
bloom in shades from pure white to lavender
to deep purple. |
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In recent
years, hybridizers have been trying to add
other flower colors to the palette available
to gardeners. A few flowers have been
developed that have a reddish or yellowish
hue but they are still a ways from being
true red or yellow. We assume the
hybridizers will keep pursuing this goal. |
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The
earliest hostas may bloom prior to June 1st and the season
can extend into October depending on the cultivar or
species. |
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Several hostas including those related to the species,
H. plantaginea, have flowers that are scented. |
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Many hostas consist of a single color, however, several
types have streaks or other patterns of a second color
involved in the flower. |
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The stalk
of hosta flowers can vary in terms of height, color and
other traits. Most of the scapes hold the flowers slightly
above the mound of foliage to be available
for their major pollinator...bees. A few
types, however, have scapes that stand way
above the foliage and may be as tall as 5
feet in some cases. |
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The flowers
of hostas come in bell-shaped, tubular-shaped, closed,
double and other shapes. |
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The male part of the flower, the stamen,
consists of two parts called the anther and filament.
Hostas have anthers that come in two colors;
yellow and
purple. |
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Some people love hosta flowers which resemble those of
certain lilies. Others do not like them at all,
primarily because each bloom lasts just one day and as
they open up the scape, eventually there can be a bunch
of fading blooms on the same stem as the new flowers.
They find this unsightly so these people often cut off
the flower scape as soon as it appears. What would
commonly be called petals on a flower are actually a
combination of petals and sepals on hostas and are
called tepals.
