Use & Care NotesCompanion Plants
Royal Wedding Hosta: Big, Perfumed White Blooms for Shade
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Royal Wedding hosta turns the usual hosta story around. Most are grown for leaves with flowers as an afterthought; this one is prized for its blooms. From mid-July into early August, 18 to 20-inch scapes carry pure white trumpets 3 to 4 inches long, much larger and more open than typical hosta flowers, with a sweet perfume you notice best up close.
The leaves hold their own too: thick, glossy and green, with wide creamy margins that brighten to pure white, so the white edges echo the white flowers.
Royal Wedding at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hosta 'Royal Wedding' |
| Flowers | Pure white, fragrant, 3 to 4 inches long, on 18 to 20-inch scapes |
| Foliage | Thick, glossy green with wide creamy to white margins |
| Size | About 12 inches tall and 20 inches wide |
| Bloom | Mid-July, peaking early August |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Part to full shade |
| Wildlife | Great for pollinators; deer find hostas tasty |
The shady counterpart to a lavender bed
Royal Wedding will not grow with lavender. It needs shade and steady moisture, and lavender needs baking sun and dry roots. But both are fragrance plants, and that gives you a way to tie a garden together: lavender scenting the sunny beds in June and July, Royal Wedding perfuming a shaded seating area in late July and August.
Plant it where you sit, under a tree beside a bench or along the north side of a porch, with ferns and astilbe for company. Plan the sunny and shady areas together in the Companion Plant Planner.
A natural container hosta
At about a foot tall, Royal Wedding is an easy size for pots. A container on a shaded patio table puts the flowers right at nose height. Use a rich potting mix in a pot with drainage holes, and water whenever the top inch dries.
Care through the year
- Planting: set the dormant bare root crown at the soil surface in spring and water well.
- Soil: rich, humus-heavy, evenly moist and well drained.
- Light: shade from hot afternoon sun to protect the white margins.
- Slugs: the thick leaves resist slug damage better than most hostas.
- After bloom: cut spent scapes.
- Fall: cut the foliage down after a hard frost to clear slug eggs and debris.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cut the flowers?
Yes. They rate good as cut flowers, and a few stems in a small vase bring the scent indoors.
Is it safe around dogs and cats?
Hosta foliage is listed as toxic to dogs and cats, so keep it where pets will not chew it.
Why do some leaves look mottled or streaked?
Unusual mottling that does not match the normal pattern can be Hosta Virus X. Remove and discard affected plants.
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