How to Cut Back Hosta Flowers

Hosta, also known as the plantain lily, has beautiful foliage that changes color in the fall and winter. A perennial, Hosta flowers bloom in summer. The tall stems make it a good cut flower to use in arrangements, but the seed heads can be left on the plant to add interest during the winter months. Hosta returns year after year. Gardeners cut back the plant in early winter in colder climates. In milder climates, many gardeners do not cut back the plants until late winter.

Instructions

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Use garden shears to cut off seed heads.

• Hosta, also known as the plantain lily, has beautiful foliage that changes color in the fall and winter.
  
• The tall stems make it a good cut flower to use in arrangements, but the seed heads can be left on the plant to add interest during the winter months.

Cut hosta foliage. Hosta foliage begins to die down on its own, but it benefits from cutting back.

Gently bend the foliage back until you can see where the leaves meet the rhizomes (roots.) Begin cutting foliage until all the leaves are cut back. Hostas planted in tubs should also be cut back in early to late winter.

Mulch. Mulch hostas growing area with 2-4 inches of mulch. Hostas benefit from heavy mulching. The perennial will come into leaf in late spring.

• Hosta foliage begins to die down on its own, but it benefits from cutting back.

Flowers That Look Good Next To Hosta

Impatiens (Impatiens spp.) are non-stop summer bloomers. Wishbone flower (Torenia fournieri) is a compact, bushy summer annual growing to 1 foot high and wide, fitting in well with larger hosta plants; small blossoms of white, purple or pink bloom all season long. Small flower spikes topped with blue buds develop and should be pinched back to keep the foliage bushy. Cranesbill (Geranium spp. ), Coral bells (Heuchera spp.) produce compact foliage clumps 1 to 2 feet high and wide in a multitude of bright color with solid or variegated leaves, with thin stalks developing small pink or white flower clusters in late spring. Bugloss leaf colors include silver, blue, green white and a mix of each. Both the Japanese and English painted ferns are hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 1 to 9.