The Hosta First Frost (Hosta ‘First Frost’) is a handsome sport of Halcyon Hosta and begins in spring with deep blue leaves with a gold-colored edging. This edging is irregular and just about half an inch wide, but then First Frost evolves to a pure white in summer!
The light lavender flowers appear on 28-inch scapes by midsummer, attracting Hummingbirds and pollinators and putting on a colorful display in your garden all season long! It maintains its outstanding blue color and beautiful edging until the first frost in the fall. These trumpet-shaped blooms look great in your vases indoors!
Named a “Designer Hosta” and “2010 Hosta of the Year”, First Frost is incredibly cold-hardy throughout USDA growing zones 3 – 9 and thrives in the shadier spots of your landscape, porch, patio, or planter! Growing only 12-15 inches in height but spreading up to 3 feet wide at maturity, the foliage becomes more and more frosted in white!
Planting and Application:
Since the foliage spreads 3 feet wide First Frost is a fine size for groundcover, edging, or specimen use! The large, broad, colorful leaves are ideal for edging along garden bed fronts to ease the transition between lawn and garden and to quickly hide large sections of shady areas each growing season! Create your own shade-loving perennial display with Ferns, Barrenwarts, Coral Bells, and of course other Hosta!
Pot up in a large planter or container to elevate your landscape, let drape over the edge of an urn, or use First Frost as a large focal point among finer-textured perennials and annuals. Set one on the corner of a shady foundation. Plant at the base or the top of a retaining wall so these graceful large leaves can soften edges.
- Big Broad Leaves Change Blue-Green to White
- Short & Wide Plant
- Light Lavender Flowers For Pollinators & Hummingbirds
- Award-Winning Hosta Variety
- Edging, Borders, Containers & Specimen
Tips for Care:
First Frost is resistant to pests and this low-care perennial! In an area that receives partial sun to full shade, since the leaves need morning sun to bring out the best coloration, though too much sun will burn the leaves. These Perennials are at home in consistently moist, well-drained, highly organic soils with a pH between 5.5 and 7.5. When watering, make sure to lift up the leaves and water the soil directly underneath. Those big boisterous leaves can sometimes act like an umbrella and leave the roots dry. Provide moderate yet consistent moisture throughout the growing season and these appreciate a 3-4 inch thick layer of arborist mulch chips to help hold in moisture. It is best to keep areas around Hostas clear of excess leaf debris to reduce the presence of slugs and snails. Deadhead after flowers fade, and clean the foliage away from the plant once it dies back in the autumn.
- Full Shade & Part Shade
- Moderate Moisture & Needs Well-Drained Soil
- Appreciates Mulch
- Prune in Late Fall After Leaves Die Back
- Divide Every Few Years
Gorgeous blue-green and gold foliage plus lavender blooms, First Frost is a remarkable variety of Hosta that’s sure to brighten the shady spots in your landscape!
