Have you ever seen a hosta send up a bloom when there are no leaves?! I swear that's what this is...One stubby stalk, ending in a cluster of pale lavendar blooms with long white stamens that are topped with yellow tips of pollen. The blooms are about 2" long and somewhat tubular, with six points each. They sure look like hosta blooms....But is this normal? I've never seen hostas bloom except with leaves, and none of my other hostas are blooming! Do I need to make arrangements for this plant to visit a hospital for the perennially insane? LOL
I think my hosta's gone insane!
Do you have a picture??...I'd love to see that!!..meplant :) :)
This is too funny,I read your post today and later ,while out on my garden,I was looking at this strange thing poking out of the soil.To me it looks like one of your insane hosta relative's.Its just a flower bud,only about 2 inches out of the soil.It certinly looks like a hosta bud.MUTANTS!!I think your post was contagious.Just kiddin.Wonder what caused that! Karyn
Gardenwife
We just call it "bolting". It's caused by unusually cold winter temps that damage the outer layer of dormant hosta buds, chemical damage like from weed killers sprayed too close to the roots of the plant and/or leaching of chemicals from pressure treated lumber or railroad ties. Your plant should recover and grow some normal leaves unless the buds were damaged too badly.
Calalily
Thanks, Calalily -- So there is actually a sane explanation for this! Of the list you gave of possible causes, the only one I can see causing this the cold. I've not used any weedkillers near this bed and there is no lumber nearby. We did have a pretty cold winter in Ohio and I had divided some of these hostas last spring. These hostas are planted along a very low stone retaining wall by the patio, so they probably did get pretty chilly! If the bloom's still there when I get a chance to borrow our friend's digital camera again, I'll post a picture. :o)