Hosta (Hosta 'Honeybells')
Hosta 'Honeybells' is a vigorous, shade-loving perennial prized for large, light green foliage and highly fragrant, pale lavender flowers.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Hosta ‘Honeybells’ is a standout selection within the Hosta genus, celebrated for providing robust texture and structure to shady landscapes. This herbaceous perennial forms an erect, large mound, featuring generously sized, heart-shaped leaves that brilliantly capture ambient light in low-light conditions. Its main attraction in mid-summer is the racemes of bell-shaped flowers, which are notably pale lavender and delightfully fragrant, making Hosta ‘Honeybells’ highly desirable.
As a dependable, low-maintenance powerhouse, Hosta excels where many flowering plants struggle, thriving in the deep shade of woodland gardens or beneath large trees. Its dense foliage helps suppress weed growth, offering a clean, green carpet effect throughout the growing season. For gardeners seeking reliable performance and sweet summer fragrance in dark corners, Hosta ‘Honeybells’ is an essential component.
These versatile plants form a vital foundation of shade gardening. While appreciated for the ephemeral bloom display, it is the ornamental excellence of the foliage that secures the long-term value of Hosta in nearly any northern climate garden design.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Asparagaceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 3-8
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 1.5-2 ft
- Spread: 2-4 ft
- Bloom Time: June to July
- Bloom Description: Lavender
- Sun Exposure: Part shade to full shade
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Hosta ‘Honeybells’ thrives when planted in the spring or autumn, provided the soil is rich in organic matter and drains well. Optimal placement involves providing part shade, ideally receiving gentle morning sun or dappled conditions throughout the day, though this Hosta tolerates heavy shade well. Ensure consistent moisture, especially during establishment, as full size and visual quality are best maintained when the soil does not dry out.
Watering should always be directed to the soil beneath the broad leaves to help prevent fungal issues on the foliage surface. While established Hosta plants have some drought tolerance, particularly those with thicker leaves, neglect their water needs, and you risk decreased performance. Once summer growth is established, fertilizing is rarely required due to the focus being primarily on foliage quality.
Divide clumps as necessary, which is best done in early spring before the new leaves fully unfurl, or alternatively in autumn. Protecting Hosta ‘Honeybells’ from strong winds is recommended to minimize potential physical damage to the large leaves. As a generally low-maintenance perennial, ongoing care focuses mostly on avoiding pests.
Landscape Uses
Hostas are the undisputed mainstay of shade gardens across temperate regions. While the fragrant flowers on Hosta ‘Honeybells’ are a bonus, these plants are fundamentally selected for the ornamental excellence of their foliage in deep shade settings. They create incredible texture and contrast against finer-leaved shade dwellers like ferns or mosses.
Hosta ‘Honeybells’ is exceptionally effective when used in mass plantings, forming broad, cooling sweeps of light green. Use them to define shady borders, line woodland pathways, or serve as an excellent background plant where brighter colors from woodland flowers can pop against the dense mound of leaves.
Consider pairing the substantial foliage of this Hosta cultivar with contrasting textures such as Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa) or delicate Astilbe blooms. Their ability to form a dense mound also makes them practical groundcovers in difficult, heavily shaded areas.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
Noteworthy Characteristics
Hosta is a genus of about 70 species of shade-loving, rhizomatous, clump-forming, herbaceous perennials which are native to open woodlands, woodland margins and glades in Japan, Korea, China and eastern Russia. ‘Honeybells’ specifically is a large, vigorously growing hosta featuring large, flat, heart-shaped, light green leaves and racemes of bell-shaped, fragrant, pale lavender flowers on tall scapes. Its dense foliage provides excellent contrast and texture, effectively helping to crowd out unwanted garden weeds naturally.
Tolerances
- Heavy Shade
- Black Walnut
Potential Problems
The primary threat to Hosta ‘Honeybells’ foliage comes from mollusks, chiefly slugs and snails, which are notorious for chewing ragged holes in the leaves. Vigilant inspection and management are required, especially in moist conditions, to prevent serious aesthetic damage over short periods.
Other potential biotic issues include foliar nematodes, which cause interveinal browning, and rare fungal issues like leaf spot or crown rot, often related to poor drainage. Furthermore, hostas are susceptible to several viruses, including HVX; infected plants must be immediately destroyed.
Rabbits and deer frequently find Hosta leaves delicious, often eating them voraciously, so siting plants in well-protected areas is crucial if these herbivores are common in your locale. Hail storms can also severely bruise or tear exposed leaves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Hosta ‘Honeybells’ suitable for?
Hosta ‘Honeybells’ is hardy and reliably perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 8.
How large does Hosta ‘Honeybells’ grow?
This vigorous cultivar typically reaches a spread of 2 to 4 feet, with a mature height ranging between 1.5 and 2 feet.
When does Hosta ‘Honeybells’ bloom?
Hosta ‘Honeybells’ features its hallmark fragrant blooms from June into July, displaying lovely lavender, bell-shaped flowers.
What sun exposure does Hosta need?
For optimum health, Hosta plants, including ‘Honeybells’, prefer part shade to full shade conditions, avoiding harsh, direct afternoon sun.
Conclusion
Hosta ‘Honeybells’ remains a foundational plant for gardeners seeking reliable, low-maintenance beauty in shaded environments. Its combination of large, light green foliage and intensely fragrant lavender summer blooms provides unmatched aesthetic value in woodland or foundation plantings. Ensure you check your local USDA zone compatibility and plant in well-drained, moist soil for the best performance from your Hosta this growing season.
Companion Planting in Shade Gardens
Given the medium water needs and strong preference for shade exhibited by Hosta ‘Honeybells’, selecting companions with similar cultural requirements ensures a cohesive, thriving planting scheme. Consider pairing the mounding habit of Hosta with taller, upright plants like Japanese Iris (Iris ensata) late in the season, or mixing them with spring bulb foliage that will die back as the Hosta leaves fully expand.
For texture contrast, shade-loving ferns—such as Japanese Painted Ferns (Athyrium niponicum) or large Wood Ferns (Dryopteris)—create a beautiful juxtaposition against the broad leaves of the Hosta. Groundcovers like creeping Brunnera or Vinca can help stabilize the soil around the base of the plant while suppressing smaller weeds.
When designing, remember that Hosta ‘Honeybells’ provides a cool, light green anchor. Utilize companions with deep purple or silver foliage, such as certain Heucheras or Lungwort (Pulmonaria), to intensify the visual impact of the Hosta’s texture and color.
Propagation Tips: Division of Hosta
Hosta perennials, including the Hosta ‘Honeybells’ cultivar, are most easily propagated through division. This process naturally rejuvenates older, overcrowded clumps, leading to healthier perennial growth. As noted in the cultural requirements, the best time for division is early spring just as the new shoots (eyes) are emerging but before the leaves have unfurled.
To divide, carefully dig up the entire clump using a sharp spade or garden fork, working around the root ball diligently. Gently tease the roots apart with your hands or use a sharp, clean knife to cut the crown into sections, ensuring each division has a healthy mass of roots attached to at least one strong growth bud or eye.
Replant the newly separated divisions immediately into prepared, rich soil, ensuring the crown is situated at the same depth they were originally growing. Water thoroughly post-division to help settle the soil around the fresh root systems, allowing the Hosta to recover and establish its vigorous growth habit.
