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Hosta 'Curly Fries'

Hosta 'Curly Fries' · Asparagaceae

Very narrow, stiff, wildly rippled leaves of chartreuse that fade to gold, on a small, spidery plant with red-speckled stalks.

Size
6 in tall, 16 in wide
Zones
3 to 9
Light
Part sun to part shade
Flowers
Grown for its leaves; flowers late July to late August
Pets
Toxic (mild)
Job in a bed
Edging

A bed built around hosta 'Curly Fries'

The planner designed this bed around hosta 'Curly Fries' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why hosta 'Curly Fries' stands where it does.

A 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) bed at eye level in early August: Hosta 'Curly Fries', Stemless gentian, Swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet', Northern sea oats 'River Mist', Gas plant, Wild geranium 'Espresso', Giant snowdrop, Grecian windflower.
A 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, part sun, seen from the path in early August.
3. Swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet'33. Swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet'33. Swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet'35. Gas plant52. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian21. Hosta 'Curly Fries'11. Hosta 'Curly Fries'11. Hosta 'Curly Fries'11. Hosta 'Curly Fries'11. Hosta 'Curly Fries'12. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian24. Northern sea oats 'River Mist'44. Northern sea oats 'River Mist'44. Northern sea oats 'River Mist'42. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian22. Stemless gentian26. Wild geranium 'Espresso'66. Wild geranium 'Espresso'66. Wild geranium 'Espresso'66. Wild geranium 'Espresso'66. Wild geranium 'Espresso'66. Wild geranium 'Espresso'66. Wild geranium 'Espresso'66. Wild geranium 'Espresso'68. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower8. Grecian windflower7. Giant snowdrop7. Giant snowdrop7. Giant snowdrop7. Giant snowdrop7. Giant snowdrop
From above, to scale. Each circle is one plant, as wide as the room it needs.

The plants

  1. 1 Hosta 'Curly Fries' × 5, chartreuse leaves
  2. 2 Stemless gentian × 14, blue
  3. 3 Swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet' × 3, white
  4. 4 Northern sea oats 'River Mist' × 3, green
  5. 5 Gas plant × 1, pink
  6. 6 Wild geranium 'Espresso' × 8, pink
  7. 7 Giant snowdrop × 5, white
  8. 8 Grecian windflower × 12, blue

Why this plant

  • The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.

Why here

  • On the front edge. At 6 in it frames the bed without hiding it, and it is in leaf all season. It finishes 51% of the edge.
  • 5 plants in one run. An unbroken run of one kind gives the edge a clean line.

Why now

  • Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 12 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.

Planned as a cottage garden: 34 of the 34 plants (100%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. The back corners are held by gas plant and swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet', the tallest plants on the plan. The flowering year starts with giant snowdrop in mid February and ends with northern sea oats 'River Mist' in mid September.

The planner's own design check: 14 Excellent, 3 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.

Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.

Where hosta 'Curly Fries' goes in a border

At 6 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is ground-hugging (up to 6 in).

Its job: edging. A low, neat plant used in short runs of three or five along the front to finish the edge (or, in a formal bed, in one even row).

A hosta with the texture of a grass. Morning sun gives the best colour. It is small and slow, so plant it at the very front or in a pot. Hosta of the Year in 2016.

  • Fine texture among bold hostas
  • Troughs and containers
  • The very front of a shady bed

What to plant with hosta 'Curly Fries'

Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:

Questions about hosta 'Curly Fries'

Does hosta 'Curly Fries' need sun or shade?

Hosta 'Curly Fries' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does hosta 'Curly Fries' grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

How far apart should hosta 'Curly Fries' be planted?

14 in (35 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 16 in (40 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 6 in (15 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many hosta 'Curly Fries' plants do I need?

At 14 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

  • 9 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
  • 9 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
  • 28 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).

In the bed above, the planner used five in one group.

Is hosta 'Curly Fries' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to dogs, cats and horses. Can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in pets if eaten.

Rated from the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like hosta 'Curly Fries'?

These come closest to doing what hosta 'Curly Fries' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

  • Black mondo grass: the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, keeps its leaves in winter.
  • Bloody cranesbill 'Max Frei': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late May to early August, wants average soil.
  • Coral bells: the same job in a bed; 6 in taller, medium leaves, not fine.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

What does hosta 'Curly Fries' look like in winter?

Hosta 'Curly Fries' dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.

More Hosta

In these guides

Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9

Every fact on record

Type
Perennial
Size
6 in (15 cm) tall, 16 in (40 cm) wide
Plant
14 in (35 cm) apart
Height class
Ground-hugging (up to 6 in)
Place in the bed
Front
Flowers
Late July to late August; upright spires; lavender
Leaves
Fine texture, herbaceous; chartreuse
Shape
Arching, clumping
Hardy in
USDA zones 3 to 9
Light
Part sun, part shade
Soil
Rich, evenly moist
Water
Moderate
Feeding
Light, in spring
Family
Asparagaceae

Checked against ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.