Plant DetailShow Menu

'Halcyon' Hosta Hosta 'Halcyon'

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
HOSS-tuh
Description

Hosta 'Halcyon' is an herbaceous perennial in the Asparagaceae (asparagus) family and a cultivar in the Tardiana Group of hostas. This plant has flat, blue-green, spear-shaped, or heart-shaped leaves and is grown for its beautiful foliage. It is considered one of the best blue hosta cultivars, retaining the leaf color longer than other varieties. Its blue-violet, bell-shaped flowers appear in mid to late summer and appear as racemes along 26 to 28-inch scapes.

The genus name, Hosta, honors Nicholas Thomas Host, an Austrian botanist in the 19th century. Tardiana Group refers to a group of hybrids that resulted from the crossing of Hosta tardiflora and Hosta sieboldiana var. elegans. The plants in this group typically are under 18 inches tall and have blue-green leaves.

This plant prefers to be grown in partial sun, dappled shade, or full shade and in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. It will reach up to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. They may be propagated by division. It is best to remove any old foliage as the plant dies back in the fall to prevent garden pests and disease.

Hosta 'Halcyon' was given the American Hosta Society Distinguished Merit Hosta Award in 1987 and the Best Blue Leaf Award in 1991.

The plant's beautiful foliage will add color, contrast, and texture to a shaded landscape. Consider using it as a mass planting in a border front or along a walkway or sloped area. Tuck it into the small spaces in a courtyard or around a patio or pool. It takes the dense shade of understory planting in woodland gardens, giving some blue contrast in dark areas of the landscape. Plant in a cutting garden or pollinator garden where you can enjoy visits by hummingbirds and songbirds. The dense foliage will also obscure the dying bulb foliage of other plants.

Seasons of Interest:

Bloom: Summer           Foliage:  Spring, Summer, and Fall

Quick ID Hints:

  • erect, mounding, clump of foliage
  • flat, spear-shaped to cordate, textured, waxy, blue-green leaves with pointed tips
  • 26 to 28-inch pinkish-gray scapes that display a raceme of bell-shaped blue-violet flowers

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Monitor for snails, slugs, and nematodes among the leaves. Deer enjoy the foliage. Leaf spot and crown rot rarely occur. Plants may become infected with the Hosta Virus X, tobacco rattle virus, or tomato ringspot virus. If any of these are detected, the plant should be removed and destroyed. Voles may destroy the plant by eating the roots. Hail storms may damage exposed leaves. The leaf scorch can occur if it receives too much direct sunlight. All hostas are mildly toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Ground covers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. 

More information on Hosta.

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscape:
Extension Master Gardenerâ„  Demonstration Garden, Durham Co.
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#small spaces#shade garden#colorful leaves#low maintenance#mass planting#violet flowers#deer browsing plant#blue-green leaves#herbaceous perennial#cutting garden#courtyard garden#border front#nectar plant summer#flowers late summer#walkway planting#small group plantings#black walnut toxicity tolerant#heavy shade tolerant#patio#vole damage#wildlife friendly#woodland
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#small spaces#shade garden#colorful leaves#low maintenance#mass planting#violet flowers#deer browsing plant#blue-green leaves#herbaceous perennial#cutting garden#courtyard garden#border front#nectar plant summer#flowers late summer#walkway planting#small group plantings#black walnut toxicity tolerant#heavy shade tolerant#patio#vole damage#wildlife friendly#woodland
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Hosta
    Family:
    Asparagaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Distribution:
    available in the United States
    Wildlife Value:
    Flowers attract hummingbirds and songbirds.
    Play Value:
    Attractive Flowers
    Attracts Pollinators
    Colorful
    Easy to Grow
    Textural
    Dimensions:
    Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 2 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
    Erect
    Mounding
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Coarse
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
    Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Blue
    Purple/Lavender
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Raceme
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Good Cut
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Bell
    Flower Description:
    Lilac-blue bell-shaped flowers displayed as a raceme will appear in the late summer.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Blue
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Smooth
    Waxy
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Rosulate
    Leaf Shape:
    Cordate
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Large flattened, spear-shaped to heart-shaped frosty blue-green leaves with pointed tips. The leaf measurement is 1.5 inches to 4 inches long and 1.25 to 3 inches wide. It has 11 pairs of veins.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Gray/Silver
    Pink
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Form:
    Straight
    Stem Surface:
    Smooth (glabrous)
    Stem Description:
    Flowers bloom on mauve-grayish, 26 to 28-inch scapes.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Patio
    Pool/Hardscape
    Slope/Bank
    Walkways
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Cutting Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Shade Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Mass Planting
    Small groups
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Hummingbirds
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Black Walnut
    Heavy Shade
    Problems:
    Problem for Cats
    Problem for Dogs
    Problem for Horses