H. ‘Rainbow's End’
Hosta ‘Rainbow's End’ is a registered cultivar () .
| Year registered | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Section class | IV-6a (Small) |
Last checked against the AHS registry:
What it looks like
'Rainbow's End' has elliptic leaves with a center that emerges yellow and turns creamy white in summer, framed by a margin in shades of medium and dark green from 0.25 to 1.25 in wide (AHS registry). The Hosta of the Year booklet calls the leaves "very thick" with "a flared center pattern". Scapes are red, 16–19 in tall, with pale lavender flowers that have a darker lavender center, recorded in Minnesota from early August into early September.
Registered size vs. grown size
| Source | Height | Width | Leaf (L × W) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AHS Registry record (2005) | 11 in (28 cm) | 21 in (53 cm) | 6 × 4 in (15 × 10 cm) |
| AHS Hosta of the Year booklet | 11 in (28 cm) | 21 in (53 cm) | — |
Both sources agree. The registry measured a 5-year-old original clump and gives a slow growth rate.
Where it fits
Both AHS sources give 11 in high and 21 in across, and the registry records the habit as mound-like. The registry also records red scapes and flowers from early August into early September.
How it compares
- 'June' has a similar light center with a darker edge, on a plant the booklet gives as 16 × 37 in (11 × 21 in for 'Rainbow's End' in the same booklet).
- 'Island Breeze' is another small hosta with a yellow center and red color at the base, here as speckling on the petioles (booklet: 12 × 28 in).
- 'Fire and Ice' has a pure white center with a 1 in dark green margin on an upright plant; its record enters no seasonal color change.
Parentage and awards
Sport of 'Obsession' — the booklet specifies a tissue-culture sport. Originated, named and registered by H. Hansen; introduced by Shady Oaks Nursery. Plant patent PP17,251.
- AHGA Hosta of the Year 2021 (booklet; registry comments).
- Benedict Medal for Garden Performance 2021; Award of Merit 2018; Honorable Mention 2017 (AHS Benedict list).
- Listed in AHS Popularity Polls between 2016 and 2024, including the 2024 medium-to-large list.
Limits and unknowns
The registry gives a slow growth rate; it and the booklet are both silent on how it handles sun or slugs. For general culture, see our hosta care guide. Patented, so propagation for sale is restricted while the patent runs.
Sources
Profile written and checked against the sources above on .
Size and leaf
| Clump height | 11 in (27.9 cm) |
|---|---|
| Clump width | 21 in (53.3 cm) |
| Leaf length | 6 in (15.2 cm) |
| Leaf width | 4 in (10.2 cm) |
| Vein pairs | 8 |
| Leaf | yellow to creamy white with .25 to 1.25in (0.6 to 3.2cm) wide, shades of medium and dark green, flat margins; dull on top; slightly shiny underneath; flat |
| Flower scape height | 16–19 in (40.6–48.3 cm) |
| Seasonal colour change | leaf center changes from yellow to creamy white in summer |
| Notable characteristics | 'Obsession' sport with yellow center |
| Plant patent | PP17,251 |
From the American Hosta Society Registry record.
Similar cultivars
Other registered hostas in the same AHS section class (IV-6a, small size):
- H. ‘June Fever’ (2004)
- H. ‘Firestorm’ (2007)
- H. ‘Fire and Ice’ (1999)
- H. ‘Sting’ (2011)
- H. ‘Whirlwind Flame’ (2014)
- H. ‘Bullfrog’ (2016)
Related guides
Registration data: AHS Registry #4561. How we check this data.