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Hosta Siebold is an amazingly beautiful perennial plant. It is ideal for decorative landscaping of gardens, backyards, as well as for lawns and the coastal zone of reservoirs.
Hosta Siebold has an unusual appearance due to textured large leaves.
Description of Siebold hosta
The hosta garden plant is a perennial and belongs to the Asparagus family. Japan (Honshu Island) is considered to be the homeland, where this plant can be found in the wild, in addition, it is in the Far East and East Asia. Siebold’s hosta was named after the botanist and explorer Philipp Siebold. For the first time in Europe, the plant was brought in the XIIX-XIX century. Today, the host is used everywhere to decorate flower beds, rabatok in household plots, and bushes are planted around ponds, at the base of alpine hills, and in other areas where many plants do not take root well.
The first 2 years after planting, Siebold’s host develops slowly, but by 3-4 years its growth is accelerating. In the same period, the seasonal change in leaf color begins. The plant begins to show its decorative qualities by the age of 4, and by the age of 8-10 it fully reveals its magnificence.
In appearance, the shrub is quite large with wide and dense leaves. Their color is rich green with a bluish wax coating, the shape is heart-shaped. Due to the fact that the color has a bluish-gray tint, the plant is classified as a blue hosta. The surface of the sheet is ribbed to the touch, about 30 cm long and up to 25 cm wide.
Hosta Siebold blooms in early July, the inflorescences are almost invisible behind large greenery. The peduncles themselves reach a height of no more than 40 cm, have practically no leaves, the flowers are of a light lilac hue, funnel-shaped or bell-shaped in shape. At the end of flowering, trihedral small boxes with black seeds inside ripen on them. The rhizome is compact, short and has few branches.
In length, the peduncles reach 6 cm and their top is abundantly crowned with pale lilac flowers.
The plant itself is unpretentious in care and has a fairly high degree of winter hardiness. Quietly withstands frosts down to -35 degrees without shelter.
Hosta Siebold belongs to shade-loving plants, but at the same time it can grow in a lightened area, provided that direct sunlight does not fall on it for more than 1-2 hours a day. With prolonged exposure to the scorching sun, the leaves will not have a bluish bloom, but will become dark green.
Application in landscape design
Hosta Siebold is considered a versatile plant in landscape design. It is used both to create independent compositions, and in combination with other colors.
It looks great in a flower bed with various ground cover and undersized plants (daylily, viola, primrose, bergenia, daisies). Often, compositions are planted where the following plants take root perfectly with the host:
- receives;
- eye socket (seven);
- fern;
- iris;
- spurge;
- hohlatka;
- thuja;
- bells;
- peonies.
And this is not the whole list of suitable plants for planting together with Siebold’s host. It also goes well with conifers and cereals.
Hosta Siebold in a successful garden composition with various flowers
A small flower bed with stonecrops and peonies
Hosta Siebold Elegants in combination with a fern against a background of blooming bright plants
Varieties
Hosta Siebold has several varieties. The most popular hybrid varieties of this plant were bred in Japan. They differ from each other in height, as well as in the size of the leaves.
Francis Williams
Hosta Siebold Frances Williams is a hardy variety, hardy and suitable for growing in all types of soil. Also noted high resistance to various diseases.
A plant of this variety is recommended for planting in partial shade, while the place should be protected from the wind, as large leaves can be damaged.
According to the description of the host Siebold, Francis Williams is a medium-sized perennial shrub, reaching 65 cm in height. The leaves are large, rounded, azure blue with a yellow border around the edges.
It blooms in mid-summer (June-July), peduncles are short with white flowers. Their diameter is up to 5 cm, they form brushes of 8 pcs.
The leaves have an attractive two-tone color.
Elegance
Hosta Siebold elegans is quite large in size. The bush can reach a height of up to 70 cm. The leaves are also quite large with a bubbly surface. The length of the plate can be about 36 cm.
The plant grows slowly, but with age, the size of the leaves and their ribbing increase.
Hosta elegans differs from other varieties in early flowering (at the end of June). The inflorescences are compact, located on the peduncle, which is almost flush with the leaves in height. The flowers are white with a slight lilac tint, waxy to the touch.
Hosta Siebold elegans is a very spectacular garden plant that surprises with its size.
Funderbolt
Hosta Siebold Thunderbolt (Thunderbolt) has an amazing color of the leaves. Their shape is heart-shaped, they themselves have a velvety blue hue, as well as a creamy feather-like stripe in the center. It should be borne in mind that such a color of the leaves of this variety will only be in the shade and partial shade, they turn green in the sun, and the central creamy stripe burns out strongly.
Flowering occurs in mid-summer. Inflorescences are voluminous due to large bell-shaped white flowers.
Over time, the creamy stripe in the center of the leaf turns white.
Golden Meadows
Hosta Siebold Golden Meadows has dense hard leaves, large in size and with a wavy edge. The color is contrasting, the core has a creamy tint, and the border is gray-green. The variety is valued for the variability of the color of the center of the leaf plate, which has a golden hue in spring, cream in summer, and becomes greenish closer to autumn.
The bush itself is medium in size, reaching a height of up to 60 cm. It grows moderately. Flowering occurs in July.
The variety is distinguished by curling leaves that can change color.
Hercules
Variety Hercules refers to hybrid giant plants. The leaves are quite large, heart-shaped, with a dark green color and a slightly bluish tint, glossy. The veins are longitudinal, closely spaced. Against the background of dark sheet plates, white flowers look spectacular.
It grows relatively quickly and can reach a height of up to 75 cm.
Semperaurea
Siebold’s Hosta Semperaure, which in Latin is Semperaure, is distinguished by slightly narrowed, medium-sized leaves with a yellow-green tint.
The height of the bush is not more than 65 cm. It grows moderately.
Thanks to light yellowish leaves, this variety looks contrasting against the background of green plants.
Breeding methods
The simplest, most effective and at the same time the fastest way to propagate Siebold’s hosts is to divide the bush. This method is suitable for absolutely all plant varieties and allows you to save all the qualities of the mother bush. Naturally, the seed method of propagation is also practiced, but, as a rule, not all plants can set seeds, and in the end, the seedling does not retain its varietal characteristics.
Landing algorithm
Siebold’s hosta differs from many other garden plants in a later growing season, for this reason, the planting time does not have a clear framework. It can be planted both in late spring and early autumn.
The plant itself belongs to the shade-loving, which must be taken into account when choosing a place. Ideal site on the north side of the house or under the shade of trees.
The soil should be fertile, loamy, breathable and moisture-intensive. Too damp and swampy areas are not the best place to land.
Siebold’s hosta seedlings should also be chosen carefully. As a rule, a healthy plant should have a well-developed root system of at least 10 cm. Be sure to check for the presence of buds in a young specimen, their number is 3-4 pcs.
The landing algorithm is concluded in the following steps:
- First prepare the soil, dig up and loosen. Then they make rather wide recesses, be sure to keep the distance between the plants, because the bush can reach up to 80 cm.
- A small amount of humus is poured into the bottom of each hole, and a small amount of peat is added to the soil to increase breathability.
- Be sure to form a drainage. This layer can be made of perlite.
- Next, a little water is poured into the recess and a seedling is placed in it. Cover with soil, lightly tamp.
- A layer of mulch is covered around the trunk circle.
The ideal time for planting hostas outdoors is 6 p.m. when there is no risk of direct sunlight.
Growing rules
Siebold’s hosta cultivation rules are almost identical to the cultivation of other garden plants.
The most basic care requirements include:
- Watering is carried out at least 1 time in 1-2 days. Perform it in the morning, so that by the evening the bush and the soil are dry. Water must be poured under the root of the plant, as the leaves have a protective waxy layer that can be washed off over time, which should not be allowed. Water abundantly: for 1 bush 10-30 liters of water, depending on age.
- It is required to feed Siebold’s host about 2-4 times during the summer period. The amount of dressing directly depends on the age and size of the bush. As a rule, it is best to use compost, rotted manure, peat as organic fertilizers. At the same time, organic feeding is often combined with mineral components. Perform it only after rain or heavy watering.
- Many gardeners recommend cutting flower stalks at the end of flowering so that the plant does not waste energy on seed formation.
- Preparation for winter
Hosta Siebold has a fairly high degree of frost resistance, so there are no special requirements for preparing for winter. The main rule of autumn care is pruning withered leaves, which must be removed. The plant does not need shelter, with the exception of young specimens of the first year of life.
Diseases and pests
The most common disease among hostas is the HVX virus, which spreads only in this plant species. The disease is characterized by the appearance of spots on the leaf plates that are translucent in the sun. Infection occurs through the sap of the plant, therefore, after pruning infected leaves, the instruments must be disinfected.
With improper care, root collar rot can develop. A diseased plant is treated by digging it up, cutting off the affected part, processing and then transplanting to a new place.
Among the pests, the most dangerous are slugs and caterpillars. You can prevent eating leaves by mulching with needles, sawdust. If pest attacks have become more frequent, then it is recommended to treat with insecticides.
Slugs are especially dangerous for young and thin-leaved hostas.
Conclusion
Hosta Siebold is a real find for enthusiastic gardeners. The plant is unpretentious, hardy to a lack of light and is suitable for planting where many garden crops take root with difficulty.
