Hosta June Plants

Botanical Names: Hosta ‘June’, Hosta ‘Halcyon’, brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla), coral bells (Heuchera), golden Japanese hakone grass (Hakenechloa macra ‘Aurea’), carex

Ever wonder which hosta varieties win the popularity contests? Hosta ‘June’ is one of the consistent winners. This striking plant is a sport of Hosta ‘Halcyon,’ one of the top blue hosta varieties. Like Hosta ‘Halcyon,’ ‘June’ hosta also brings on the blue tints, teaming them up with chartreuse splashes. The result is one good looking hosta that’s also tough.

Like its parent, Hosta ‘Halcyon,’ Hosta ‘June’ unfurls leaves with striking blue tones. Hlue hostas, including ‘June’ hosta, gets their color from a waxy covering on leaves. With ‘June’ hosta, though, the covering is extra thick, making these leaves tough and exceptionally fade resistant. The blue tones stick around all summer on this beauty, even during the hottest days.

Don’t let the feminine name of this hosta fool you. ‘June’ hosta is no wimpy girl — she’s one perennial that tough-as-nails. The thick leaves are rugose, which means they’re wrinkled and puckered. You can count on Hosta ‘June’ to add strong texture to any planting. The combination of thicker leaves with a rugose texture makes the plant slug resistant.

In the garden, ‘June’ hosta falls into a medium size category. Plants grow to a mature height of 15 to 16 inches and form a mound that measures 20 to 36 inches across. Pale lavender flowers appear in mid- to late summer. The blooms form along a spike that stands 20 inches tall. The blue and chartreuse leaves provide an attractive backdrop for the lavender blossoms.

You can plant Hosta ‘June’ where it receives some direct sun for part of the day, because this is also a sun tolerant hosta. With no sun, the chartreuse color in the center of leaves stays the same color. Add some morning sun, and by summer the chartreuse will glow gold, providing striking contrast to the leaves’ blue-green tones. In deep shade, the chartreuse tints shift to green. Leaves still retain a two-tone effect, but the color contrast is more subtle: blue-green edges with green centers. As with all hostas for sun, the best sun for ‘June’ hosta is bright morning sun. Provide afternoon shade in all zones.

If you only have room for one hosta, consider growing Hosta ‘June.’ It’s one of the easier hostas to grow, since it boasts slug resistance. The leaf colors blend beautifully with many other colors and look especially striking paired with white or gold. Good companion plants include brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla) and coral bells (Heuchera). ‘June’ hosta is also striking planted with golden Japanese hakone grass (Hakenechloa macra ‘Aurea’) or gold carex.