Home Garden news Do hostas look better with or without their flowers?

Do hostas look better with or without their flowers?

July 14, 2017

Many people don’t like the flowers and cut them off the moment they appear on their long stalks.

Other love the flowers and would never think of cutting them when they are their peak.

It really comes down to a matter of taste. But the conflict of whether to cut or not to cut does exist.

Some gardeners tell me they believe by cutting the flowers they are prolonging the vigour and attractiveness of the foliage.

Others will leave pure white flowers, especially ones with fragrance, such as the ones that are produced by H. plantaginea types.

But a lot of gardeners have no time for lilac hosta flowers. They think they detract from the clean, crispness of the foliage.

I have a foot in both camps. But generally, I do clip away flowers if I think they spoil the overall look of the hosta foliage.

Ron Rothwell July 14, 2017 at 7:48 pm

Hi Steve, Maureen and I are in the leave camp. I remember watching a Chickadee balance on a flower stem after the blossoms had turned to large black seeds. He went down the stem like it was a cob of corn – very cute. Since then, I’ve never had the heart to trim the blossoms – leaving them until long after the leaves have died and have been removed. The seeds eventually all disappear. Ron