Hosta Fortunei Patriot

Mary | Apr 12, 2010 |

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Hosta Fortunei Patriot is a commonly grown cultivar of Hosta that can handle a bit more sun than a lot of other hosta varieties such as Hosta Big Daddy which cannot take the sun as much.

The Fortunei species of Hosta tends have shinier leaves which are usually narrower and spear shaped than the more ovate leaf types. This type of hosta has a nice contrast when there is variegation on the leaf. The colors are more pronounced and stand out a lot more than many of the other variegated hostas like Hosta Sieboldiana Frances Williams which is a blue/grey with cream.

Patriot Hosta has a bright green leaf with white variegation which runs along the outer edge. The contrast between the bright green and the white variegation is quite striking especially if it is in a shady area. It can really light up a shade garden. It is a smallish Hosta (but not really little) it will form a 1'x2' mound.

The main problem that I have in my home garden with this plant is that the Japanese beetles just love to eat holes in the leaf. It recovers after the feasting season is over but for a month or so my patriot gets pretty ragged. I don't see much in the way of slug damage or leaf spotting and my garden is pretty sunny so I am limited in the hosta varieties that I can grow.

As with other Hosta's Patriot will enjoy plenty of water and well drained soil.

Hosta Fortunei Patriot has had many sports that have proven to be popular with the shade gardeners. Some of the sports of Patriot include Fire and Ice, Loyalist, Midnight Ride, Paul Revere, Patriot's Fire, and Flash of Light. Fire and Ice and Flash of Light have reverse variegation. White for the main color and Green along the leaf edges.

The Hosta Patriot itself was a sport of Francee which has the same color variegation but the Francee Hosta's outer leaf color is narrower.

Hosta Fortunei Patriot is a great plant and is reasonably priced because it has been popular for awhile and it can be found both online and in your neighborhood nursery.

Sports of Hosta fortunei 'Patriot'
Hosta Fire and Ice
Hosta Loyalist
Hosta Midnight Ride
Hosta Paul Revere
Hosta Patriot's Fire
Hosta Flash of Light