Hosta Plant Flowering: What To Do About Flowers On Hosta Plants

Do hosta plants have flowers? Yes, they do. Hosta plants grow flowers, and some are lovely and fragrant. However, hosta plants are known for their gorgeous overlapping leaves, not for hosta plant flowers. Read on for information about flowers on hosta plants and for an answer to the question: should you let hosta grow flowers?

Do Hosta Plants Have Flowers?

Every hosta plant grows flowers. Not every hosta plant flowering is a welcome sight to the gardener though. Many gardeners select hostas for the shade garden because of their lush foliage, not hosta plant flowers. The mounding leaves of cultivars can be spectacular, ranging in color from standard green to blues, white, and gold. They also come in many shapes, sizes, and textures. For example, if you want a very small hosta, you can plant “Baby Bunting” that even at maturity is only a few inches (8 cm.) wide. Other hosta plants, like “Blue Angel,” can grow to over 8 feet (2 m.) in diameter. Due to this emphasis on foliage, hosta flowers can be viewed as an extra plus for the plant. They can also be seen as a distraction from the main show.

Flowers on Hosta Plants

Hosta plant flowering can be a very fancy affair. The plants flower in summer, offering spikes of blossoms that look like lilies, in shades of lavender or white. The bell-shaped blooms can be showy and exceptionally fragrant, attracting hummingbirds and bees. New cultivars are being developed that offer even larger, more impressive blooms. Some offer up to 75 flowers per stem. In short, hosta flowers can add ornamental value to a hosta plant. Yet, many gardeners still ask: should you let hosta grow flowers?

Should You Let Hosta Grow Flowers?

Whether you want pure foliage or will accept hosta plant flowers is a matter of personal taste. Each gardener must make up their own mind. The quality of the blossoms your hosta plant flowering produces might influence your decision. Many gardeners like tall flower scapes, but not every plant produces them. Sometimes, especially with the white flowered hostas, the flower scapes are awkwardly short and stunted. Whether or not you allow them to bloom, you’ll want to clip the scapes when the blossoms fade. Faded hosta flowers are not attractive.