Hosta Valley's Tonkatsu

Hosta 'Valley's Tonkatsu' is a fast-growing hosta cultivar, introduced by Jeroen Linneman in 2009. This medium-sized perennial plant, a hybrid of Hosta 'Goldbrook Grebe' and Hosta 'Katsuragawa Beni', is perfect for shady areas in the garden. With a height of 35 cm and a spread of 50 cm, it forms an attractive mound of medium green foliage. The leaves are ovate, slightly wavy, and heavily rippled, with a slightly shiny surface that adds texture to the plant. One of the key highlights of this hosta is the great wavy margins on its leaves, which give it a unique and elegant look.

In mid-July to August, Hosta 'Valley's Tonkatsu' produces pale purple tubular flowers on 40 cm tall scapes, adding a delicate touch to its bold foliage. This cultivar is not only visually appealing but also fertile, making it a good option for breeding. Its striking purple petioles add a vibrant contrast to the green leaves, making it an excellent choice for gardeners seeking a distinctive, low-maintenance perennial for shady garden areas.

How to grow hostas

Save light shade to shade place in your garden to plant hostas. Filtered sun is best for the colorful varieties to reach their full color contrast. The green and blue hostas are the most shade-tolerant. Usually the yellow cultivars are the most sun-tolerant. The most dangerous is a direct sunshine, especially hot afternoon sun. This is the most critical where temperatures are high. Variegated varieties, especially those with a lot of white in the leaves, burn very easily. Blue color of leaves turns to green-blue or even fully green with too much direct sun. Plants with thick leaves are better suited for dry soil conditions than thin-leaved ones, but none is able to grow years-long in very dry soil. Plant hostas in moist, humus-rich soil. Water your hostas well immediately as you plant them. Give them water regularly during their first one or two growing season. Hostas grow slowly and may take 2 to 5 years to reach their full size, longer for the largest species and cultivars. Reserve a plenty of space in your perennial bed for hostas. Most of them are medium sized or large perennials. Hostas are almost fully disease and pest resistant. The most dangerous injury can by caused by slugs, snails and deers.