Hosta (Hosta 'King Tut')
Hosta 'King Tut' is a low-maintenance perennial prized for its variegated yellow and green foliage and white summer flowers.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Hosta ‘King Tut’ is an exceptional choice for adding vibrant texture and color to shaded garden spaces. This herbaceous perennial is primarily celebrated for its ornamental foliage—a lush mound featuring flat, heart-shaped leaves with distinctive yellow centers contrasted by rich green margins. As a dependable Hosta cultivar, Hosta ‘King Tut’ requires relatively low maintenance, rewarding the gardener with consistent garden performance throughout the growing season. It forms a well-defined clump that effectively crowds out unwanted weeds, solidifying its role as both an aesthetic anchor and a functional groundcover in the dappled light areas of your landscape.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Asparagaceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 3-8
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 0.75-1 ft
- Spread: 2-2.5 ft
- Bloom Time: June to July
- Bloom Description: White
- Sun Exposure: Part shade to full shade
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Planting Hosta ‘King Tut’ is best achieved in the spring or autumn, ensuring the soil is richly organic and exceptionally well-drained. While these perennials thrive in part shade, morning sun or dappled light conditions often produce the best color and form for the foliage. Establish your plants where moisture is consistent, as Hosta require evenly moist soil for optimal size and quality. Water application should always be directed to the soil beneath the canopy to minimize leaf spotting and fungal issues.
Established Hosta plants exhibit a degree of drought tolerance, especially those with thicker leaves, but never allow the soil to fully dry out. Maintenance is generally low; there is no required fertilizing schedule for most successful Hosta gardens, as rich, organic soil usually suffices. Pruning involves simply dividing the clumps when they become overcrowded, an activity easiest performed in early spring before the new leaves fully emerge. Always protect Hosta ‘King Tut’ from strong winds to prevent physical damage to the large leaves.
Landscape Uses
Hostas are the undisputed champions of the shade garden, and Hosta ‘King Tut’ brings its unique variegation to this critical landscape niche. Because they are grown primarily for their foliage excellence, they provide crucial contrast against solid green plants or bright white-flowering shade companions like Astilbe or Bleeding Heart. They look fantastic massed together to create a continuous river of bright leaf color winding through a woodland border.
These perennials are very effective when used in groups or planted en masse beneath mature deciduous trees. Hosta ‘King Tut’ can serve perfectly as a mid-sized border plant, filling in the space between taller shrubs and lower-growing groundcovers. The structure of the mounding foliage also makes them excellent background plants in shady beds where they help unify the composition before the summer bloom period begins.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
- Good Cut
Noteworthy Characteristics
Hosta is a genus celebrated for its clump-forming, herbaceous perennial nature, native widely across East Asia. Gardeners prize Hostas almost entirely for their ornamental foliage, which presents in varied shapes, textures, and colors, rising from a central crown. Specifically, ‘King Tut’ offers a dependable display, featuring bright variegated leaves and sending up tall scapes bearing bell-shaped white flowers, adding vertical interest above the dense, weed-suppressing mound.
Tolerances
- Heavy Shade
- Black Walnut
Potential Problems
The primary challenge when cultivating Hosta, including Hosta ‘King Tut’, involves managing mollusks. Slugs and snails are strongly attracted to the leaves, chewing characteristic jagged holes that can quickly mar the display. Immediate action is necessary; use bait products containing iron phosphate or employ physical barriers like copper tape if infestations are severe.
Vascular diseases present a more serious threat. Inspect plants for signs of foliar nematodes, which cause interveinal browning. More critically, if HVX or other viruses are suspected, infected plants must be destroyed immediately, as they cannot be cured. While the dense foliage of Hosta ‘King Tut’ helps protect the crown from light hail, exposure to severe storms can shred the leaves. Deer and rabbits also find Hosta leaves highly palatable and may graze heavily.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Hosta ‘King Tut’ suitable for?
Hosta ‘King Tut’ is reliably hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 8.
How large does Hosta ‘King Tut’ grow?
This cultivar typically reaches a mature height between 0.75 and 1 foot, spreading horizontally to a width of 2 to 2.5 feet.
When does Hosta ‘King Tut’ bloom?
The blooming period for Hosta ‘King Tut’ usually occurs from June into July, producing attractive white flowers.
What sun exposure does Hosta need?
This Hosta variety performs best in part shade to full shade conditions, needing protection from intense afternoon sun.
Conclusion
Hosta ‘King Tut’ stands out as a superior choice for adding consistent variegation and low maintenance to shaded environments. Its robust foliage and reliable performance make this Hosta a cornerstone perennial for structural interest. Before planting, confirm that your intended location matches the part shade requirement and moderate water needs of Hosta ‘King Tut’ for the best results this season.
Companion Planting for Shade Gardens
When planning beds around Hosta ‘King Tut’, select companions that share similar cultural needs regarding moisture and light. Ferns are classic partners, providing fine, lacy texture that beautifully contrasts the broad leaves of the Hosta. Consider planting with shade-loving groundcovers like Vinca minor, or vertical accents such as tall Astilbes whose feathery plumes add height above the mounding foliage of the Hosta.
Grouping plants with different leaf shapes is crucial for maximum visual impact in the shade. While Hosta ‘King Tut’ offers broad, variegated leaves, areas where morning sun reaches could support Tiarella (Foamflower) or delicate, white-flowering Impatiens if you desire more seasonal color below the Hosta canopy.
Seasonal Care Calendar
Spring is the time for rejuvenation; clean up any remaining dead foliage from the previous year and divide any overly crowded clumps of Hosta ‘King Tut’ as new growth begins to emerge. Throughout the summer growing season, focus on consistent watering, ensuring deep saturation to support the medium water demands and maintain foliage health.
In autumn, allow the foliage to die back naturally; this feeds the crown for the next year. In colder portions of USDA Zone 3, applying a light layer of mulch after the ground freezes can offer extra winter protection to the crowns of your Hosta. Minimal intervention is required, which speaks to the low maintenance nature of this exceptional plant.
