Hosta Patriot

• Variety: Patriot
• Latin name: Hosta 'Patriot' (v)
• Type: Herbaceous perennial, grown for foliage
• Foliage: Puckered olive-green leaves with broad, crisp white margins
• Flower: Lavender-blue funnels on tall stems
• Height: 55cm (22in)
• Spread: 90cm (3ft)
• Flowering: July to August
• Position: Partial shade or morning sun; shield from hot afternoon sun
• Hardiness: Fully hardy anywhere in the UK (RHS H7)
• Pruning: Clear the dead leaves away in late autumn
• RHS AGM: Yes, it holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit
• Sold as: 3L and 5L pot-grown plants
• Plant outdoors: Year round
• Delivered: Year round. Collection from Castle Cary also available

One of the best-selling hostas on earth: dark leaves edged in pure white, thick enough to give slugs a proper argument, hardy anywhere in Britain.

Hosta Patriot: White Edges That Light Up the Shade

Hosta Patriot is a medium-large plantain lily, about 55cm tall and 90cm across, whose puckered olive-green leaves carry a broad margin that opens creamy and turns brilliant white. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit and is rated H7, the top hardiness grade, so it will sail through any winter Britain can produce. In a dim corner those white edges do the work of a lamp; Graham Stuart Thomas counted hostas among the few perennials whose leaves are "surprising, inspiring and gratifying", and Patriot is the proof.

It has a good origin story too. In a Virginia nursery in the late 1980s, a batch of the older variety Francee met a stray dose of herbicide; among the survivors, one plant emerged with a far wider white edge. John Machen grew it on, registered it as Patriot in 1991, and by 1997 it was America's Hosta of the Year. An accident, in other words, that became one of the most planted hostas in the world.

What makes it practical rather than just pretty is substance, the hosta word for leaf thickness. Thick, leathery leaves shrug off weather and are genuinely hard work for slugs and snails, so Patriot stays presentable in gardens where thin-leaved hostas end up as seperate ribs by July. And it takes more sun than most variegated hostas: morning light is fine, so long as the soil stays moist and the afternoon scorch is kept off those white margins.

Planting Companions

Build the classic shade picture around it. The finely cut fronds of Shaggy Wood Fern are the textbook contrast to those broad leaves, while the blue-tinted Hosta June plays a second foliage note in a cooler key. Geranium Rozanne skirts the front with violet-blue flowers all summer. And because hostas rise late, plant our snowdrops among the crowns: they flower before the leaves unfurl and vanish politely underneath them after.

Why Ashridge?

We sell Patriot in 3L and 5L pots, so you're planting a clump with real presence rather than a plug that needs two years of babysitting. Grown peat-free, protected with biological controls instead of sprays, and guaranteed like every plant we sell.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop slugs eating my hosta?

Start by choosing thick-leaved varieties like Patriot, which slugs find hard going. Then clear dead foliage in late autumn to remove eggs, use copper tape and grit on pots, apply nematodes from spring, and keep ferric phosphate pellets as the backstop; metaldehyde pellets are banned in the UK.

Will Hosta Patriot grow in full sun?

Morning sun, yes; hot afternoon sun, no. Patriot is more sun-tolerant than most variegated hostas provided the soil never dries out, but strong afternoon light scorches the white margins brown.

What is the difference between Hosta Patriot and Francee?

Patriot is a sport (natural mutation) of Francee with a much wider, brighter white margin. Same size, same toughness; Patriot simply turned the contrast up, which is why it overtook its parent in gardens worldwide.

Can I grow Hosta Patriot in a container?

Yes, hostas are among the best of all container perennials, and a pot lets you control slugs with copper tape and gravel. Use a large pot, water generously in summer, and watch for vine weevil, which nematodes also treat.

When should I divide hostas?

In early spring before the leaves unfurl, or in late summer. Patriot doesn't need dividing for health; split an established clump every four or five years when you want more plants, and each piece grows away without fuss.

Why are the white edges of my hosta turning brown?

Afternoon sun or dry soil, usually both. The white leaf tissue has no green pigment to protect it, so move the plant (or the pot) somewhere shadier after noon and keep the root run moist.