Use & Care NotesCompanion Plants
Guacamole Hosta: Glossy Lime Leaves and Fragrant Late Flowers
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Guacamole hosta is well named. Its huge, glossy, heart-shaped leaves are apple green in the center with streaked dark green margins, very much like the inside of an avocado. In summer, and with more light, the centers brighten toward gold while the edges stay dark.
Then in August it does something most hostas do not: it sends up 3-foot stems of flared, pale lavender trumpets that are very fragrant. It was named Hosta of the Year in 2002 and holds a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit.
Guacamole at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hosta 'Guacamole' |
| Foliage | Glossy apple green to gold centers, streaked dark green margins |
| Flowers | Very fragrant pale lavender trumpets on 3-foot stems |
| Size | About 22 inches tall, 38 to 48 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts early August, peaks mid-August |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Shade to filtered or morning sun; more sun tolerant than most hostas |
| Growth | Fast |
Fragrance for the shade garden
Lavender owns the fragrance in the sunny part of our gardens. Guacamole brings a sweet floral scent to the shady part, and it does so in August, after the lavender harvest. Plant it where you will pass by on warm evenings, along a shaded path or near a porch, so you can enjoy the scent. Hummingbirds visit the trumpets too.
Where it fits
Although it tolerates more sun than most hostas, Guacamole still wants steady moisture and richer soil than lavender can tolerate, so it belongs in its own bed. Pair it with coral bells, ferns and bleeding hearts in a moist, shaded spot. Its glossy lime leaves brighten dark corners, and as a fast grower it fills out a new bed quickly, either as a single specimen or a mass planting. The Companion Plant Planner can help you sketch the shade bed alongside the lavender beds.
Care notes
- Light: morning or filtered sun brightens the centers. Give afternoon shade and steady moisture in hot summers.
- Soil: evenly moist and humus-rich, but not waterlogged in winter.
- Water: deeply during dry spells, especially in sunnier spots.
- Slugs: watch for them in damp springs, and keep mulch thin near the crown.
- Deer: they browse hostas, so protect plants in open yards.
- Health: destroy any plant with mottled or distorted leaves.
It is fully hardy in Michigan. Cut the collapsed foliage after a hard frost, and divide crowded clumps in spring as new shoots appear.
Plug tray or bare root
Guacamole is offered as a full 72-cell plug tray for growers and large plantings, and as a bare root plant for home gardens. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Can Guacamole go in full sun?
It handles more sun than most hostas, but in hot summers it needs afternoon shade and steady moisture. It is not a fit for lavender's dry, sunny bed.
Are the flowers really fragrant?
Yes. The pale lavender trumpets have a sweet scent, unusual among hostas.
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