H. ‘Blue Lace’

Overview

Registered in 1977 by K. Vaughn, *Hosta* 'Blue Lace' is a giant-sized cultivar resulting from a self-cross of *Hosta* 'Frances Williams'. Its most distinctive feature is the combination of blue-green leaf centers with blue-gray margins, a color pattern inherited from its parent but expressed with a notably cooler, more silvery tone.

In the Garden

'Blue Lace' forms a substantial clump reaching 35 inches (88.9 cm) in diameter and 25 inches (63.5 cm) in height, with individual leaves measuring up to 22 inches (55.9 cm) long and 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) wide. The scape, though recorded as 30 inches (76.2 cm) in the registry, may vary in garden conditions. It performs best in partial to dappled shade, where the blue-gray leaf margins remain most pronounced. Given its large size, it is best sited as a specimen or in the middle to back of a shaded border, where its broad, heavily textured leaves provide contrast against finer-textured ferns or *Carex* species.

Care Notes

Provide consistent moisture during dry periods, particularly in the first growing season. Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring as new growth emerges. Like most large-leaved hostas, it is susceptible to slug damage and may require management in damp conditions; deer also find it palatable.