Hosta Touch of Class

(USPP 13,080 expired) If you are already excited about hostas, wait until you grow Hosta 'Touch of Class'. This is the first in a series of intentional hosta conversions from diploid to tetraploid. Hosta 'Touch of Class' comes from the popular Hosta 'June'. The central pattern of the doubly-thick leaves is chartreuse-gold, surrounded by a very wide, blue-green border. In midsummer, the 2' wide clumps are topped with thick 2' tall scapes of light lavender flowers...a hummingbird treat. We have grown this side by side with Hosta 'June' for several years and find Hosta 'Touch of Class' more intensely and dramatically colored...we think you will agree! Maintenance: Hosta 'Touch of Class' is essentially a maintenance free perennial. Once the plant has gone dormant in fall, you may wish to remove the old foliage, which helps tidy the garden. Old flower stalks may be removed after flowering, which we feel helps with clump appearance. Growing Conditions: Hostas always grow better in rich, moist soil. They thrive best in clay or amended clay soils, but amended sandy loam can be successful if additional compost or other organic nutrients are added. Dry soils are not problematic for a short time, but hostas will decline if the soil is kept dry over an extended period. Light shade to a couple of hours of early morning sun are best. Dark shade will not result in a satisfactory plant. Garden Value: Hostas like 'Touch of Class' are great to brighten a woodland garden. Their bold texture makes a nice garden foil to more airy-textured perennials. Natural Impacts: Hosta flowers are always a great source of nectar for honeybees.