Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Wheee! Hosta: Extreme Cream Ruffles from Leaf Tip to Crown
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Wheee! hosta is all ruffles. Each green leaf is edged in an extremely wavy cream margin that runs from the tip all the way down the leaf stem to the crown, and even young plants show it. In midsummer, purple scapes about 24 inches tall carry light lavender flowers, a lively contrast against the cream frills.
It is a plant with a sense of humor, as the exclamation point suggests. It also has firm opinions about sun: it wants very little of it.
Wheee! at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hosta 'Wheee!' |
| Foliage | Green with extremely ruffled cream margins, thick |
| Flowers | Light lavender trumpets on purple scapes about 24 inches tall |
| Size | 11 to 18 inches tall, 28 to 30 inches wide |
| Bloom | Early to mid-July |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Part shade to full shade |
| Slugs | Thick leaves resist them better than most hostas |
Where Wheee! fits
Lavender's look is calm and orderly: silver mounds, straight spikes. Wheee! is the opposite, a frilly, energetic plant that makes people stop and touch the leaves. Give each its own setting. Lavender takes the open, sunny beds; Wheee! goes in the shade under trees or along the north side of the house, where it adds a dose of fun to ferns and astilbe.
The purple scapes and lavender-colored flowers in early July tie it back to your lavender, which is usually in bloom at the same time across the yard. Plan the layout with the Companion Plant Planner.
Best uses
- Containers: the ruffles show best at eye level on a shaded porch or patio.
- Front of the border: its medium size suits the edge of a shade bed.
- Mass plantings: a drift of them looks like a sea of cream waves.
- Contrast: pair with smooth, blue-leaved hostas or fine-textured ferns to make the ruffles pop.
Care notes
Plant in rich, humus-heavy soil and water deeply during dry spells, especially the first summer. The cream margins can brown in hot afternoon sun, so keep it shaded from midday on. Cut spent scapes after bloom. After a hard frost, cut the foliage down to clear out slug eggs and debris, and keep the crown in soil that does not stay wet over winter. Divide crowded clumps in early spring as shoots appear.
Watch for mottled, streaked leaves, a sign of Hosta Virus X, and discard any affected plant. Hot, wet weather can also bring crown rot in poorly drained soil.
Formats offered
Wheee! is available as a full 72-cell plug tray and as a deep 20-cell plug tray. The 72-cell tray suits growers and mass plantings; the 20-cell tray offers fewer, larger plugs. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Do young plants have ruffles?
Yes. Even young Wheee! plants show the wavy margins, so plugs look the part from the start.
Is it safe around pets?
Hosta foliage is listed as toxic to dogs and cats.
Will deer eat it?
Deer browse hostas, so protect it in deer country.
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