H. ‘Heartbeat’
Hosta ‘Heartbeat’ is a registered cultivar () .
| Year registered | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Section class | III-5b/4b (Medium) |
Last checked against the AHS registry:
Overview
'Heartbeat' comes from 'Liberty Bell' (pod parent) crossed with the blue 'Dorset Blue' (pollen parent). It was registered in 1999. The leaf is 6.5 in by 5 in, medium green with 9 vein pairs, and the underside is glaucous. A narrow margin, 0.25 in wide, runs from creamy white to golden yellow. The AHS registry record describes bell-shaped lavender flowers with pale lavender edges, from a clump grown in Ramsey, Minnesota.
In the Garden
The registered clump is 31 in across and only 11 in high. It is registered as mound-like with a moderate growth rate. Pale green scapes reach 20 in, against a clump height of 11 in.
How it compares
Little of either parent shows in the registered leaf: 'Dorset Blue' is a small Tardiana Group blue (Benedict Honorable Mention 2013, Award of Merit 2015), and 'Liberty Bell' a streaked plant with dark purple flowers.
'Patriot' (Hosta of the Year 1997) is registered at about the same width, 30 in by 12 in high, with a 1 in white margin against the 0.25 in margin of 'Heartbeat'.
'Mayan Moon', a sport of 'August Moon', has a wider yellow edge. It was registered at 18 in high and 40 in across, with a golden yellow margin of 1 to 1.5 in.
Flowers and other notes
The flowers were recorded in Ramsey, Minnesota, with no bloom dates or seed notes. General growing advice is in our hosta care guide.
Sources: AHS Registry records for 'Heartbeat' (#2480), 'Liberty Bell' (#3375), 'Dorset Blue' (#1484), 'Patriot' (#4245) and 'Mayan Moon' (#3694), hostaregistrar.org; AHS Hosta of the Year booklet, 3rd edition; AHS Benedict Garden Performance Awards by year (2026).
Size and leaf
| Clump height | 11 in (27.9 cm) |
|---|---|
| Clump width | 31 in (78.7 cm) |
| Leaf length | 6.5 in (16.5 cm) |
| Leaf width | 5 in (12.7 cm) |
| Vein pairs | 9 |
| Leaf | medium green with .25in (0.6cm) wide, creamy white to golden yellow, slightly rippled margins; slightly shiny on top; glaucous bloom underneath |
| Flower scape height | 20 in (50.8 cm) |
From the American Hosta Society Registry record.
Parentage
- Pod parent: H. 'Liberty Bell' — H. ‘Liberty Bell’
- Pollen parent: H. 'Dorset Blue' — H. ‘Dorset Blue’
Similar cultivars
Other registered hostas in the same AHS section class (III-5b/4b, medium size):
- H. ‘Kifukurin Hyuga’ (2002)
- H. ‘Ivy Parody’ (2003)
Related guides
Registration data: AHS Registry #2480. How we check this data.