Hosta montana is a species that is found throughout its
native Japan where it is called
Hosta 'Oga
Giboshi'.
Liberty Hyde Bailey originally named the plant H.
fortunei var gigantea.
This species forms a large (28 inches high), vase-shaped mound
of medium green foliage that is deeply veined, moderately wavy
with a moderately lobed leaf base.
One of the unique characteristics is that the
flower bud itself looks like a flower. It has open funnel shaped, very pale lavender flowers with bracts on the
flower scape after the flower opens.
Plants of this species also tend to emerge early in the spring
and are often susceptible to damage from frosts if not
protected.
There seems to be a lot of variation within this species and
The Hosta Handbook by
Mark Zilis (2000) divided the species into six groups:
1. Hosta montana - the "typical" green-leaved species;
2. Hosta montana 'Aureomarginata' - Yellow margined
3. Hosta montana 'Mountain
Snow' - White margined
4. Hosta montana 'Choko Nishiki' - Gold centered
5. Hosta montana 'Emma Foster' - Gold leaf
6. Hosta montana macrophylla
According to
The Hostapedia by Mark Zilis
(2009), "Of the four most common species
in Japan (Hosta sieboldii,
Hosta kikutii
and Hosta longipes being the others),
Hosta montana is the
most consistent...has proven to be a valuable breeding plant and
is the source of several significant mutations."
