Hosta tardiana Halcyon - Blue Hosta

The Hosta tardiana 'Halcyon' is a truly enchanting. This variety, also known as Funkia 'Halcyon', is one of the most famous blue cultivars. Its astonishing thick, grey-blue leaves, adorned with metallic reflections, create a striking decoration from spring to autumn. In July-August, it comes to life with clusters of perfectly matching ash mauve flowers. A medium sized plant and with relatively slow growth, the plant establishes itself slowly but surely and proves easy to succeed in cool soil. 'Halcyon' will undoubtedly bring a magical touch to the cool areas of the garden, planted with green or yellow foliage.

Hostas are deciduous perennial plants belonging to the family of liliaceae and hostaceae. The Hosta tardiana Halcyon is part of a hybrid line of funkias called 'tardiana'. This fertile hybrid obtained in 1986 is the remarkable result of cross-breeding between Hosta tardiflora and Hosta sieboldiana var. Elegans. Its qualities have also made it the parent of many recent cultivars. It is a long-lived plant with deciduous foliage of grey-blue until late summer. It has a rounded, heart-shaped, smooth surface and distinctive veins. The lamina is thick and measures up to 20 cm (7.9 in) in length. This dense foliage also resists attacks from gastropods. The flowering takes place in July-August in compact clusters of pale lavender bell-shaped flowers, pendulous, grouped towards the top of peduncles that can reach 55 cm (21.7 in) in height. This perennial spreads by stolons, similar to strawberries.

Native to China, Korea, and Japan, Hostas are very hardy plants. They are commonly found as ground cover under deciduous trees, in cool beds or rockeries, and borders, especially near ornamental ponds. The hybrid Hosta 'Halcyon' will associate well with shade-loving plants such as helxine, ferns, epimediums, and Claytonia sibirica, with which it forms beautiful colourful duos that require little maintenance. It also looks magnificent when planted alongside columbines, tall foxgloves, or small violets. All hostas grow well in pots and can remain in the same container for several years. A special geranium potting soil should be chosen and used during the growing season. As long as the foliage is not too dense, watering can be done from the top of the pot. Then, place a saucer under the pot and pour water into it, keeping the level constant in summer. Place the plant near plants with lighter leaves, such as Alchemilla, to highlight the blue foliage of' Halcyon'.