Herb: Swamp Hosta


Latin name: Hosta longissima


Family: Funkiaceae



Edible parts of Swamp Hosta:

Young leaves and leaf stems - cooked.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Swampy grassland and other wet places, often exposed to full sun in the spring but then shaded in the summer by the long grasses it grows amongst.

Propagation of Swamp Hosta:

Seed - sow spring in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 10°C. Make sure you keep the compost moist. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division is possible at almost any time of the year so long as there is sufficient moisture. It is best carried out in March as growth commences or in early autumn if the soil is not too dry. Hostas can be left undivided for many years and should not be divided any more frequently than once every 3 - 5 years to allow the leaves to reach maturity.

Cultivation of the herb:

Swampy grassland and other wet places, often exposed to full sun in the spring but then shaded in the summer by the long grasses it grows amongst.

Medicinal use of Swamp Hosta:

None known

Known hazards of Hosta longissima:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.