Hosta - Growing Unexpectedly

Hello,

Last year we bought a very small Hosta which lost all it's leaves over winter. It has come back into leaf again this year and all started well a cluster of small leaf tips around the centre. These leaves haven't got any bigger and now a long stem is being produced with more small leaf tips at the top. There are no visible signs of pests nor discolouration or distortion of the leaves.

I don't know what type of Hosta it is unfortunately.

I will try and get a picture in the next day or so.

Does ayone have any ideas please? Is this normal or is it not a very happy Hosta?

Many thanks,
Claire

 

Sounds like it's flowering. Hostas lose all their foliage over winter but it reappears in Spring, which is when you need to keep the slugs and snails from eating the new foliage. The long stem sounds like it's flowering. How big are the leaves though?

Mine are all in pots to keep the slimy ones off them, but they are 2 years old now, so maybe yours is just small still. They get bigger each year.



You can just see the flower stems developing in one at the front

 

Hi Claire,

As Aaron says, it all sounds like perfectly normal growth.

I will though say that I myself brought a very tiny tiny hosta two years ago (literally had 2/3 leaves when purchased).

The first year it didnt grow that much and didnt flower.

The second year it still didnt grow much but did have one flower steam.

This year is has come back probably double its size and has flower steams already. I just dont think that its meant to be a big one or as full as the larger ones, but then can hardly complain when I brought it reduced in Wilkinsons for about 50p :hehe:

I did find quite a good site recently for hostas. They have hundreds on there if you want to try and ID it, although I will say I gave up on mine as a lot of them look the same!

http://www.mickfieldhostas.co.uk/2009_Availability_List.htm

 

Hi,

Thank you both for your replies, really appreciated. I am unsure if it is a flower stem and the leaves are very tiny...I have grabbed a photograph this afternoon;



I just looks strange, especially in comparison to the other Hostas behind, which is definitely growing more as I thought it should do!

Thanks again,
Claire

 

Looks like a bit of a mutant, but there's nothing wrong with it - it looks healthy in any case. Are they in full sun? Hostas like shade, dappled at the very least.

 

Don't see that often here, Hostas in a pot.

 

Lucky you! Here, the slugs eat them in the border :(

 

Hi,

Thanks again for the responses.

They are in shade pretty much from 9am onwards, before that they are in sunlight.

Thanks,
Claire

 

When my Partner and I moved here two years ago, there were two Hostas in our garden and I decided to try splitting one of them that was huge to say the least. I took a piece of this one and planted it elsewhere and it has taken, while slugs/snails have been delving in to the other two, yet left the new one alone and it is in a similar site. Then again, we DO get regular visits from our neighbouring Hedgehogs, unless of course our dog finds them and I have to put them over next door for safety.