Hosta 'Tokudama Aureonebulosa'

I bought this plant more than 10 years ago, and planted it in deep shade. It grew very slowly. Three or four years ago, I moved it to a...Read Moren area with a bit more sun. It seemed happier there, but didn't get much bigger. Two years ago, I reconfigured the garden it was in, ripping out several mature shrubs and leaving as the only shade sources a very old, multi-trunk white birch and a dwarf lilac. The garden now qualifies as "full sun." After this change, my hosta tokudama 'aureoneubulosa' took off. It has more than doubled -- perhaps tripled -- in size in the past two years and is absolutely beautiful. It handled last summer's heat very well. Lesson learned -- this hosta prefers sun to deep shade.

a.k.a. Hosta tokudama 'Aureonebulosa'

Relatively slow growth rate that eventually becomes 18" high by 42" wide. Leaves average around 7-3/8" long by 6" wide but can be larger...Read More on mature specimen; thick underside bloom; leaf blade rotund to broadly oblong-ovate; are cupped and somewhat wavy with a thick substance and heavy corregation. 16-18 vein pairs. Leaf center changes from chartreuse early to medium gold by mid-summer with many pale green and blue-green steaks from the 1' to 1-1/2" margin. Blue-green margins are thinner and colors are not as distinct when the plant is young. May have orangish-gold color in late fall.

Flowers are a narrow funnel-shape; near white with a pale lavendar mid-petal stripe. They are densely clustered on scapes up to 24"; many seed pods develop.

This cultivar originated in Japan, most likely as a mutation of 'Tokudama'. Has become one of the most respected hostas among gardeners, collectors, and nurserymen because of its ornamental value and slug resistance. The intensity of coloration varies with the light level, being brighter gold with more direct light.

I think this one's worth the wait and am adding one to my garden in 2005!

A beautiful hosta, but you must have patience cause the only drawback to this one is it's slow growth.