Royal Crest is a fragrant hosta with shiny medium green leaves that are thicker than those of older fragrant types. It grows quickly into a large, polished mound about 28 inches tall and 4 feet wide.
In August and into early September, large white flowers open on 35-inch scapes and add a sweet scent to the late-summer garden. It handles more sun than most hostas, so it can go in a brighter spot as long as the soil stays moist. Plant it near a patio or walk so the fragrance can be enjoyed.
What it looks like
Broad, pointed, heart-shaped leaves in medium green with a glossy, reflective surface and thick substance. Leaves are smooth with light parallel veining and arch outward in a large mound about 28 inches tall and 50 inches wide. In August and early September, scapes about 35 inches tall carry large, pure white, trumpet-shaped flowers. At peak the white flowers stand out above the shiny green mound.
Growing it with lavender
Even though it handles some sun, it still wants richer, moister soil than lavender, so plant it in a separate bed with daylilies, astilbe or ferns rather than in a dry lavender border.
Care
Takes more sun than most hostas, from full shade to morning sun or even full sun in cooler climates, as long as the soil stays evenly moist and rich in organic matter. Hardy in zones 3-9. Water well in hot, dry weather, remove spent scapes, and divide in early spring if the clump gets crowded.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Hosta
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Flower color: Pure white, fragrant
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Foliage: Glossy medium green
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Growth habit: Large, broad mound
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Mature size: 28 in tall × 50 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade, full shade
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Bloom start: Early-August
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Peak bloom: Mid-August
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Bloom pattern: Single Flush
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Deer resistance: Susceptible
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Pollinator value: Great
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.