Hosta ‘Ice Age Trail’

Farewell, Slugs!

Spreading 3 feet wide, this is an excellent ground cover or mass planting.

A magnificent spreading Hosta that thrives even in full shade and keeps nibbling snails and slugs at bay, ‘Ice Age Trail’ is a slow, majestic grower you will want to find a place of honor for. Its variegation changes from spring to summer each year, as the thick foliage grows increasingly veined and corrugated for a richly textured look that adds even more appeal to the shade garden.The new leaves emerge a saturated blue-green, with bright yellow streaks and stripes. By summer the vase color has turned to dark green and the variegation to cream and white, and it retains these colors through autumn. Just 16 inches high, this very wide plant is an imposing presence in partial to full shade!’Ice Age Trail’ is a sport of ‘Big Daddy’ (hence the large size!), and its foliage substance is its greatest asset.

The thick, leathery, tough leaves defeat all but the most desperate slug, leaving this plant untouched when the hungry hordes slither in. As it matures the foliage grows even more resilient, and the leaves are set thickly for dense, beautiful coverage.Use ‘Ice Age Trail’ as a ground cover, mass planting, or accent in the shade border. It can tolerate deep shade, but also thrives in partial or dappled shade conditions. In summer it is topped by small creamy blooms, but these are insignificant compared to the stunning foliage. A perennial to be treasured throughout its very long life. Zones 3-8.