Fragrant Hostas

Hosta plantaginea grandiflora

If there is one Hosta to remember for its fragrance and flowers, it is definitely the Hosta plantaginea grandiflora: this variety features white, slightly pinkish flowers clustered on the stem, which become particularly fragrant in the evening, with a scent reminiscent of the lily flower. The flowers are also particularly large (hence its name grandiflora), consisting of bells measuring 10 to 15 cm!
With a slow growth rate, allow it time to settle in a cool soil as it is quite greedy like all Hostas, and you will achieve a clump of foliage of remarkable size (up to 1 m wide) as well as an uncommon fragrant plant in a shaded area.
Beyond claiming to be the most fragrant hosta, the Hosta plantaginea grandiflora is also distinguished by its strongly veined foliage, which is very decorative in partial shade, renewing constantly throughout the summer, and a long flowering period at the end of summer—two more reasons to adopt it without hesitation in the garden.

Hosta plantaginea grandiflora

Hosta plantaginea 'Aphrodite'

Among fragrant Hostas, the‘Aphrodite’ variety is a stunning cultivar distinguished by its double flowers which are rather uncommon among Hostas, and a magnificent pure white colour. Originating from hybridization with Hosta plantaginea in the 1940s, its fragrance is intense. This Hosta remains of medium size, reaching about 60 cm in height and a maximum spread of 80 cm, but it boasts this magical flowering, which is even more remarkable when it enjoys plenty of warmth.

The foliage of Hosta ‘Aphrodite’ is also quite appealing: it features light to medium green leaves that are very glossy, with undulating edges. It is best planted in partial shade, or in a spot where the sun filters through slightly, to achieve a beautiful flowering. Note that Hosta ‘Aphrodite’ flowers quite late, from mid-July through August and into September.

Hosta plantaginea ‘Aphrodite’

Hosta 'Royal Standard'

The Hosta ‘Royal Standard’ features bright light green foliage. It is a medium-sized Hosta that will spread to 60 cm in width and reach a height of 80 cm after 2 to 3 years. It is particularly appealing when you are looking for a Hosta with uniform, bright leaves to illuminate a shady area.

The fairly large flowers appear in July, are white in colour, and rise above the lush clump. The bell-shaped flowers remain pendulous, as is typical for most Hostas. ‘Royal Standard’ is a result of a cross-breeding between Hosta plantaginea and Hosta sieboldiana, and it is an old American cultivar dating back to 1965… but it is especially interesting because it has inherited from this hybridization a fragrance reminiscent of orange blossom.

Hardy, you can plant it almost anywhere.

Hosta Royal Standard (© Cultivar 413)

Hosta 'Honeybells'

Hosta ‘Honeybells’, has a sweetly evocative name reflecting its sugary fragrance. It is also an old cross-breeding between Hosta plantaginea and Hosta sieboldiana.
Its heart-shaped foliage, a beautiful glossy light green, is highly ornamental due to its deeply veined texture and charming undulating margin. Its flowers, a washed white with a very pale mauve, are delicately scented, reminiscent of the orange blossom notes of flowering Choisyas. Flowering occurs from August through to September, sometimes even October.
Once well established, it measures about 60 to 80 cm in height and will spread 60 cm to 1 m wide, depending on the soil you provide, knowing that like all Hostas, it requires well-drained, moist, and rich soil. Mulch it well in spring to keep this soil cool, which is essential for its thriving.

Hosta ‘Honeybells’ (© Cultivar 413)

Hosta 'Fragrant Dream'

Finally, let’s conclude this exclusively fragrant selection with the Hosta ‘Fragrant Dream’… a whole promise of fragrances to come! It indeed boasts a very pleasant orange blossom scent, which it diffuses from June, much earlier than its little companions. This Hosta stands out from our top 5 fragrant Hosta varieties with its dark green foliage edged with a beautiful light green filament, which often turns white, highlighting the heart-shaped form of the leaves and bringing in plenty of light. It bears its white flowers in clusters of lavender bell-shaped buds at the tips of the flower stems.

‘Fragrant Dream’ is also a medium-sized hosta that you can really place anywhere, in pots, in borders, or among other Hostas. It has the advantage of having a slightly faster growth rate than other Hostas, which generally grow quite slowly.