Name:  Hosta ‘Blue Cadet’

Type of Plant:  This medium sized, perennial Hosta is pretty perfect in most landscapes. It grows to about 16” high and two to even three feet wide over time.

Why I love this: ‘Blue Cadet’ is with raving about because it’s vigorous, slug-resistant, not too tall, and blue. So it’s a truly low-maintenance perennial – the guest at your garden party who has no issues or drama, arrives perfectly dressed and helps with the cleanup. Small lavender flowers in mid-summer – cut these stalks down as soon as the flowers fade.

A Word to the Wise:  Plant ‘Blue Cadet’ about three feet apart, center to center.

I don’t really have any cautions about this plant at all, except for the standard “don’t hit this frequently with automatic irrigation (irritation) systems because that will cause leaf-spot fungal problems.” But if you’ve listened to my radio programs in the past you should have absorbed the news by now: deep watering less often is better than every two or three days. Rant over. Now back to the scheduled ‘Blue Cadet’ hosta.

Here is how ‘Blue Cadet’ Hosta looks in the spring. The leaves continue to open into the typical, almost heart-shape of most Hosta foliage. ‘Blue Cadet’ leaves are about 3 to 4 inches across, and 7 inches long.

Because this Hosta doesn’t grow too tall, it makes a good groundcover. This area will be solid Hosta by early June, with no mulch or dirt showing. Also no weeds, because no light gets through to trigger their germination!