Pure Heart Hosta

Virtues: This miniature hosta makes a good addition to a small garden or a tight spot in the border. It can also be grown in a container. The leaves are thick and rounded. Their wide cream-colored bands will brighten up a shady corner. Its flowers attract hummingbirds.

Common name: 'Pure Heart' hosta, 'Pure Heart' plantain lily

Botanical name: Hosta 'Pure Heart'

Foliage: Rounded in shape, with a broad off-white stripe down the center and a bluish green margin.

Flowers: Pale purple flowers appear in midsummer on an 8-inch-tall stem. Attractive to hummingbirds.

Habit: Clumping herbaceous perennial forming a rosette of foliage to 4 inches tall and 5 inches wide.

Season: Spring through fall for foliage; midsummer for flowers.

Origin: First occurred as a sport (genetic mutation) of Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears', a slightly larger mini hosta with bluish green leaves. Hosta 'Mighty Mouse' is another sport of 'Blue Mouse Ears'; its leaves are blue-green with a cream-colored edge—the opposite of Pure Heart'. Pure Heart ' was named for the cartoon character Mighty Mouse's girlfiend, Pearl Pureheart. 'Pure Heart' was introduced to the retail market in 2011 by Walters Gardens, Inc.

Cultivation: Grow in partial or full shade. Appreciates consistent moisture and well-drained soil rich in organic matter. In the northern part of its growing range, remove dead foliage after the first hard frost of fall/winter and then cover the plant with a finely shredded mulch. Removing the foliage will eliminate any slug or other insect eggs from overwintering, and the mulch will prevent it from being heaved out of the soil during freeze-thaw cycles. USDA Zones 3–9.

Image courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.