Patriot Hosta

Hosta 'Patriot'

flower

Patriot is one of the most popular variegated hostas, grown for bold foliage that brightens shade. It forms a mound twelve to twenty inches tall and two to two and a half feet wide of broad, oval leaves with deep green centers and wide, irregular, crisp white margins that seem to glow in a dim corner. In summer it sends up scapes of lavender, funnel-shaped flowers above the leaves. Like all hostas it is a long-lived, easy-care perennial and the backbone of the shade garden, combining beautifully with ferns, astilbe, and other woodland plants. Its one real enemy is slugs, though the thick leaves give it some resistance.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Palace Purple Coral Bells — Deep purple leaves that contrast the white-edged hosta in the same moist part-shade bed
• Astilbe — Feathery flower plumes that rise above the hosta foliage and share its shade and moisture
• Sweet Woodruff — A low woodland groundcover that knits around the hosta at the front of a shade planting

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Slugs →

  The number-one hosta pest, chewing holes in leaves - hand-pick at night, set out traps, avoid mulching right up to the crown, and cut the plant down in fall to remove eggs; the thick Patriot leaves resist them somewhat

• Deer →

  Deer love hostas - use repellents or fencing where deer browse, as they can graze a clump to the ground

• Foliar nematode →

  Causes brown wedges between leaf veins - avoid overhead watering, remove affected leaves, and discard badly infected plants

🌸 Blooms & cutting

Hosta is grown for its foliage, not flowers, and the big variegated leaves are excellent in cut arrangements - snip a few mature leaves in the cool morning to add bold form and a bright edge to a bouquet. Some gardeners cut off the lavender flower scapes to keep the focus on the leaves; others leave them for the bees. In fall, cut the whole plant to the ground once frost has knocked it back, which also removes overwintering slug eggs.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

An ornamental shade perennial grown for its bold variegated foliage. The summer lavender flowers are a nectar source for bees and hummingbirds, though the leaves are the main attraction.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Hostas contain saponins and are toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if eaten, causing vomiting, diarrhea, and depression. They are not a danger to handle or grow around; just discourage pets from chewing the leaves.