Diamond Tiaras, that is. I bought this hosta for the foliage, but I find myself beguiled by its flowers. The curly pistals add a certain something. These are not fragrant flowers, unlike the only other hosta variety I have, which blooms later in the summer.
The Diamond Tiara hostas have had just over a year without Scilla bifolia. They seem to be settling in very nicely. Just over a month ago, I added rue anemone to their flower bed, as it was quite bare between the hostas and the witch hazel trunks; the only visible foliage in the photograph belongs to one of those rue anemones.
Clemson University’s Home & Garden Information Center has a nice hosta factsheet that mentions, briefly, two of the major hosta species and a few of the thousands of cultivars. My best guess is that Diamond Tiara is related to Hosta fortunei; its lavender flowers appeared in mid-July, while my other variety is most likely Hosta plantaginea, otherwise known as August or plantain lily. It has large, pretty white flowers with an intense aroma that is reminiscent of hyacinths and blooms in late August.
According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, hostas attract hummingbirds. Good to know; we have a hummingbird that has staked a claim to the backyard and chases off other birds.