damage, which can be so prominent
on hibiscus. Plants that normally
flower at 4 ft. bloomed at 2 1/2 ft. when
cut back by half in early June when 16
in. tall. Flowering is usually delayed by
about 1–2 weeks, depending on the
conditions.
other maintenance Prefers rich
moist soil. Good for wet sites.
Although plants can grow tall, stems
are strong and so staking is normally
not needed. Plants are late to emerge
in the spring; do not disturb area.
Plants do not need division for many
(10 or more) years. Division of woody
crown is challenging and is best
avoided. Heavy feeders; fertilize
annually in the spring. Japanese
beetles love hibiscus.
related plantS Hibiscus moscheu-
tos ‘Lord Baltimore’ and ‘Lady Balti-
more’ grow 4–5 ft.; the Splash Series is
compact, growing 30–36 in., and the
Sundae Series has purple foliage. The
Cordial Series of hardy hibiscus will
reach 42 in.
Hosta
hosta
aSparagaceae
Spikes of lavender or white flowers; green,
blue, yellow, or variegated leaves
2 in.–4 ft. high; 6 in.–6 ft. wide
Part shade–full shade
Blooms June–August
Zones 3–8
pruning Deadheading hostas can
often improve their appearance. Most
hostas are not reblooming. Some set
seed, which can supply food for birds,
namely juncos and chickadees, over the
winter. Most forms of Hosta sieboldiana,
H. sieboldii, and H. ventricosa usually
form seed and are good choices for the
bird-watching gardener. Of course,
seeds can also mean reseeding.
Reseeding may occur some years and
not others, depending on the condi-
tions. Plantlets are usually green and
may or may not resemble the parent.
They are easily pulled out, so they are
not normally a nuisance. Hosta
ventricosa will produce true progeny.Disbudding, or removing all the flower
buds when they appear on a plant in an
attempt to delay flowering, will not
consistently result in the plant forming
new flower buds later. In most cases
disbudding will prevent flowering
altogether, or only sporadic later bloom
will form. Pruning flower buds can
serve the purpose, though, of creating
fuller plants, by directing the plant’s
energy toward vegetative rather than
floral growth. This may be desirable for
hostas whose flowers are not very
ornamental and which take away from
the appearance of the foliage.
Certain forms of hosta are suscepti-
ble to damage from late spring frosts.
If damaged leaves are pruned off and
the plants kept moist, they usually will
send up new fresh growth without
missing a beat. It would be advisable,
though, to cover small plants, particu-
larly expensive or unusual ones, if a
late frost is predicted, because they
may have a hard time recovering from
the damage. Deadleafing may be