Plant Type

Perennial

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Summer

 

Leaf Color

Gold, Blue Green, White, Yellow, Variegated

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Half, Shade

 

Water

Medium, High

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained, Moist

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Japanese, Water Garden, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers, Specimen, Unusual Foliage

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Entry, Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, Patio, Raised Planter

 

Special Uses

Container, Cut Flowers, Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

'Great Expectations' is a hosta cultivar with large, rounded to ovate bright yellow to chartruse leaf centers with deep blue-green irregular margins. Centers age to creamy white as the summer progresses. The plant stands about 18 to 24 inches tall without flowers, and grows about 30 to 34 inches wide. Flowers are white, appearing in mid summer on scapes another foot or so above the mound of foliage. It has a low, sort of stocky presence that is a wonderful contrast to heuchera, lamium, and rue.

Grow in well drained soil in part shade to full shade to dappled light. Some varieties are listed as being suitable for full sun, but in our hot, dry climate, they all benefit from some mid-day sun protection. Ideally, provide a loamy soil, amended with organic material. Remove spent flower scapes after blooming to encourage more flowering and for a tidy appearance. In early spring, remove spent foliage, taking care to watch for new foliage emerging from the crown. Though not thought of as a "water-wise" plant, Hostas do remarkably well in dry part-shade to full-shade conditions, and are frequently the victim of over-watering, succumbing to crown or root rot.