Hosta 'White Feather'
White Feather Hosta
Cultivated horticultural origin (Netherlands); parent genus native to East Asia
Overview
Hosta spp. 'White Feather' is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial reaching 14-18 inches (36-46 cm) tall and 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) wide. The cultivar emerges in mid-spring as cream-white to pure-white pointed leaves, gradually streaking with pale green and reverting toward pale yellow-green by midsummer. Mature leaves are 5-7 inches (13-18 cm) long, lance-shaped, with parallel venation. White-leaved emergence relies on stored crown carbohydrates rather than current photosynthesis, so Hosta spp. 'White Feather' grows more slowly than green-leaved hostas and stays smaller, typically taking 4-5 years to reach mature size compared with 2-3 years for fully green cultivars. Pale lavender funnel-shaped flowers 1.5-2 inches (4-5 cm) long open on 24-30 inch (60-75 cm) scapes from late June through mid-July in zones 5-7. Foliage scorches in direct afternoon sun above 80°F (27°C); morning sun with deep afternoon shade gives more stable color expression. Plants die back to the crown after the first hard frost. Slug pressure on the white-leaved spring foliage runs higher than on green hostas in the same garden.
Native Range
Hosta spp. 'White Feather' is a garden cultivar registered in 1997 by Eric Schmid in the Netherlands; the Hosta spp. genus is native to wooded slopes, stream margins, and meadows of Japan, Korea, and northeast China. The cultivar has no wild range and exists only in cultivation.Suggested Uses
Used as a spring foliage feature in shade gardens and woodland edges spaced 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) apart, where the white-leaved spring emergence stands out against companion green-leaved hostas, ferns, and Astilbe spp.. Container culture in pots of at least 5 gallons (19 L) is workable in zones 4-9 with morning-sun and afternoon-shade siting. Mass plantings of three to five clumps create a longer-running white display than single specimens, since adjacent plants emerge over a 7-10 day window.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1'2" - 1'6"
Width/Spread1'6" - 2'
Reaches mature size in approximately 4 years
Bloom Information
Flowers open from late June through mid-July in zones 5-7, with peak bloom over 2-3 weeks. In zones 8-9, bloom may begin in mid-June and finish by early July. Individual flowers last 1-2 days; total bloom period runs 14-21 days. Bloom is secondary to the foliage display in this cultivar.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pale lavender funnel-shaped flowersFoliage Description
cream-white to pure-white in spring, transitioning to pale yellow-green by midsummerGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-5 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Water 1 inch (2.5 cm) per week during the first growing season; established plants tolerate brief dry spells but show leaf scorch under sustained drought, especially given the lower chlorophyll content of spring foliage. Apply a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer at 1 oz per square yard (35 g/m²) in early spring; over-fertilization can cause faster green-up and shorten the white-leaved phase. Slugs and snails feed heavily on emerging white shoots in cool wet springs; iron phosphate baits or copper barriers reduce damage. Foliar nematodes can cause brown bands between leaf veins under humid zone 6-9 conditions; affected leaves are removed and discarded. Crown rot can develop in soils that stay wet through summer. Division every 5-6 years in spring is workable; plants typically take 1-2 years to recover after division.Pruning
Spent flower scapes are cut to the base after bloom in mid-July. Foliage is left intact through summer to fuel crown reserves; yellowing or scorched leaves can be removed during the season. Stems and remaining foliage are cut to ground level after the first hard frost in late October, which removes overwintering slug eggs and reduces foliar nematode inoculum.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
summerfall
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 5 gallons