2022 Hosta Of The Year

Island Breeze Hosta’s beautiful lightly ruffled leaves create perfect mounds of brilliant color. Its leaves emerge bright yellow with dark green margins in spring. As the days warm, the centers turn chartreuse in heavy shade or lighter yellow if grown in more sun. Its showy red specked leaf stems bleed up into the leaves.  Far improved over older similar Hostas, its improvements include thicker leaf substance, and a strong growth rate. Midsummer brings dark lavender flowers.

Designated the 2022 Hosta Of The Year for its many outstanding features. This premium Hosta variety is part of a group of the finest Hostas available today. Winners of Hosta Of The Year must exhibit exemplary garden presence and superb performance, have a long season of appeal in the landscape, have leaves of good substance, and demonstrate greater resistance to common garden pests. The American Hosta Growers Association established the AHGA Hosta of the Year in 1996. It is selected by a vote of AHGA members.

Hostas are excellent perennials for shade that require minimal care. They are lovely massed in woodland settings or used as specimens. With their weed-smothering foliage, they make ideal ground covers.

Growing instructions: Hostas are low-maintenance plants that if given adequate moisture, can grow undisturbed for many years. Plant Hostas in shade to part shade locations in soil that has been amended with organic matter. Give consistent moisture. Although they are tough plants that can withstand periods of drought, for best results keep well watered during dry spells. Fertilize in spring to early summer. Do not fertilize after midsummer. Cut back spent foliage in late fall and remove. Damaging pests such as snails and slugs like to lay their eggs in the old leaves. Cutting back foliage in fall prevents future spring problems.