Hosta ‘Dark Shadows’

Glowing Aquamarine Tones for Light Shade Spring foliage is overlaid and edged with chartreuse.

From blue and gold in spring to a rich aquamarine for summer and fall, this stunning Hansen introduction boasts rich, saturated tones over three glorious seasons a year. A fairly low-growing but spreading cultivar, it is just what you need for larger plantings, elegant containers, and the middle of the shade border.Each heaert-shaped leaf unfurls in spring with a wide blue center and jagged gold variegation around the edges. The gold changes to chartreuse as the warmer weather arrives, but the contrast is still delightful, and it is not until the real summer heat sets in that the blue tones acquire some aquamarine and green. Even so, the variegation is still prominent, with each leaf displaying its own unique combination of color.

Very striking!Reaching just 20 inches high, this Hosta spreads more than 3 1/2 feet wide, a glorious show in the lightly shaded garden. Its late spring blooms are lavender and very fragrant, adding an unexpected source of pleasure to the plant. They dangle from 30-inch stems high above the foliage, perfuming the shade for several weeks. Just as they are passing, spring is turning to summer and the green tones are setting into this Hosta.Like all Hostas,’Dark Shadows’ is very long-lived and easy to grow, withstanding heat, humidity, cold, and even drought without damage. Divide it easily into new plants or let it age majestically, its foliage improving in substance and texture with each passing year. Zones 3-8.