Hosta 'Chinese Sunrise'

Chinese Sunrise hosta

A sport of Hosta lancifolia, this hosta has the hardiness of its parent with the charm of springtime variegation.

When the bright yellow foliage first emerges in spring, each invdividual leaf is edged with a thin line of dark green. As springtime progresses the leaves slowly fade to a dark, glossy green with deep, conspicuous veination.

Although tough as nails, I took things a little too far once and tried planting this cultivar in a dark, wet corner where nothing else would grow. The clump slowly reduced until I finally moved it somewhere with a little more light and now it's flourishing once again. So, a word to the wise -- it needs a little more light than the straight species, but in all other cultural respects it's just as tolerant.

The glossy green mounded clumps match perfectly with many different kinds of plants. I love it with small sedges like Carex oshimensis 'Evergold' or Carex 'Kaga Nishiki'. In deeper shade it pairs well with other hosta.

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Courtesy of Proven Winners[R] -- www.provenwinners.com