H. ‘Emoticon’

Overview

Registered in 2005 by B. Kuk, this medium-sized cultivar resulted from a cross between Hosta 'Gold Regal' (pod parent) and Hosta venusta (pollen parent). 'Emoticon' is visually distinctive for its blue-green leaves with golden yellow margins, combined with an unusually textured leaf surface featuring rifts, valleys, creases, and pronounced corrugation.

In the Garden

With a mature spread of 34 inches (86.4 cm) and height of 23 inches (58.4 cm), 'Emoticon' forms an upright, moderately growing clump suitable for partially shaded borders or woodland gardens. Its bold leaf texture and gold margins that hold color until autumn make it effective as a specimen plant or in massed groupings with fine-textured ferns or dark-leaved heucheras. The 18- to 22-inch (45.7–55.9 cm) scapes bear lavender flowers in midsummer.

Care Notes

Provide consistent moisture during the growing season, particularly in warmer exposures, and apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer in early spring. Like most hostas, this cultivar is susceptible to slug and deer damage; monitor and manage accordingly in typical hosta-growing zones.