Hosta Blue Cascade - Plantain Lily

The Hosta 'Blue Cascade' is a variety with intense blue colour, whose narrow and elongated leaves are strongly undulated on the edges. This well-frizzled foliage, with curled tips, is thick enough to discourage slugs and maintains its blue colour throughout the summer. It produces numerous lavender flowers in August. Whether planted in the ground or in pots, this unusual perennial is eye-catching. Place it on the edge of a woodland, in a contemporary or Japanese-inspired border, always in shade or partial shade, in cool and well-drained soil.

This Hosta, or Funkia 'Blue Cascade' is a fully hardy perennial of the lily family or hosta family, depending on the classification. The plant has a spreading, dome-shaped habit from spring onwards. It reaches a height of 35 cm and can spread up to 70 cm under the right conditions, usually in 5 or 6 years. It is a long-lived variety with narrow, lanceolate-shaped leaves that taper to a point. The lamina is very thick with a strongly undulated margin. The flowering usually occurs in August-September, in the form of elongated and pendulous bell-shaped flowers clustered at the top of 40 cm peduncles emerging from the foliage. All above-ground vegetation is deciduous and disappears in winter.

Hostas are often planted under deciduous trees or showcased in rock gardens and borders, especially near water features. This perennial is also suitable for container gardening or as a standalone plant. The Hosta 'Blue Cascade' pairs well with ferns, heucheras, caladiums, and astilbes, which share similar growing conditions. To enhance the beauty of its foliage, combine it with Carex, silver Caucasian forget-me-nots, or golden Hakonechloa, which provide contrasting colours as well as texture and leaf shape. Spring bulbs and creeping bugles can be planted as ground cover in front of the Hosta 'Blue Cascade' for beautiful harmonies.