Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Wild Imagination Hosta: A Big Blue Swirl of Twisting Ribbons
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Wild Imagination hosta is a big, wild-looking blue hosta made of long, narrow leaves that twist and ruffle as they grow. Most strap-leaved hostas stay small; this one is more than twice their size, building a large, loose mound about 22 inches tall and 4 to 4½ feet wide with a matte, powdery blue finish.
The overall texture is fine and swirling, like a blue whirlpool. It is a statement plant for the shade, which is the one place your lavender will never compete with it.
Wild Imagination at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hosta 'Wild Imagination' |
| Foliage | Long, narrow, twisting blue leaves with a powdery surface |
| Flowers | Lavender trumpets on 17- to 36-inch scapes |
| Size | About 22 inches tall, 48 to 54 inches wide |
| Bloom | Early to mid-July |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Part shade to full shade |
| Deer | Susceptible |
The shade garden's centerpiece
In a sunny lavender bed, the plants themselves are the texture: fine silver leaves, slender spikes. Wild Imagination gives a shade bed that same fine, moving texture, but in blue and at a much bigger scale. Set it where it can be seen from a distance, at a bend in a shady path or at the center of a bed under trees, and surround it with broad-leaved hostas and ferns so the twisting ribbons stand out.
It cannot share space with lavender. Its blue comes from a waxy leaf coating that melts away in heat and strong sun, so it needs shade, especially in the afternoon, plus steady moisture. Lavender wants the opposite on both counts. What ties the two together is color: blue foliage in the shade, silver-gray and purple in the sun, and Wild Imagination's lavender flowers in July. Plan the two areas with the Companion Plant Planner.
Give it room
A mature plant spreads over 4 feet, and its arching, curling leaves look best when they have space to swirl. Plant it well away from neighbors and resist the urge to fill the gap while it grows; the payoff comes in a couple of seasons.
Care through the year
- Soil: rich, humus-heavy, evenly moist but well drained.
- Water: deeply in dry spells, especially in its first summer.
- Summer: cut spent scapes after bloom.
- Fall: cut the foliage down after a hard frost to clear slug eggs and debris.
- Spring: divide crowded clumps as shoots emerge.
Slugs chew holes in wet weather, and hot, wet spells can bring crown rot. Discard any plant with mottled, streaked leaves, a sign of Hosta Virus X.
Formats offered
Wild Imagination is available as a full 72-cell plug tray and as a deep 20-cell plug tray. Pick the 72-cell tray for growers and large shade plantings, or the 20-cell tray for fewer, larger plugs. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my blue hosta looking green?
Sun and heat wear off the waxy coating that makes the leaves blue. More afternoon shade keeps the color longer.
Is it safe for pets?
Hosta foliage is listed as toxic to dogs and cats.
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