Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’
is THE classic giant sized blue hosta. It was originally
described as a cross between 'Fortunei' and
Hosta sieboldiana
but, according to
The Hostapedia by
Mark Zilis
(2009), it is "...most likely a cross of
Hosta
sieboldiana with 'Tokudama'."
It was first introduced
for sale in Germany in 1905 and The American Hosta Society registered the cultivar in 1987.
'Elegans' forms a giant (33 inches high) mound of heavily
corrugated, slightly wavy foliage with a deeply lobed base and a
distinct tip. It produces funnel shaped, near white flowers in
dens clusters in mid June into July.
According to
The Hostapedia by
Mark Zilis
(2009), "When
Georg Arends introduced his
Funkia fortunei var. robusta, I'm sure that he did not realize the impact that
this hybrid would eventually have. In essence, Hosta sieboldiana
'Elegans' introduced thick substance and blue-green foliage
color to the hosta world. Almost any hosta with these
characteristics hearkens back to Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans'.
H. sieblodiana 'Elegans' also has the distinction of
being a cultivar, but not a clone. This is rare among hosta
cultivars. The reason for this is its sluggish growth rate,
making propagation by division a slow task...nurserymen eager to
increase their stocks...germinated copious numbers of seeds.
Thus, the plants sold as Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans' today
are far removed from the original 'Elegans' and are not
identical to each other."
This cultivar has been awarded
the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in the
UK.
