Hosta 'Fire and Ice'
Hosta 'Fire and Ice' · Asparagaceae
Upright, twisted leaves with a pure white centre and a dark green edge: the reverse of 'Patriot', from which it came.
- Size
- 14 in tall, 20 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers mid July to early August
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around hosta 'Fire and Ice'
The planner designed this bed around hosta 'Fire and Ice' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why hosta 'Fire and Ice' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Hosta 'Fire and Ice' × 1, variegated leaves
- 2 Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple' × 8, purple
- 3 Blue star creeper × 10, blue
- 4 Turtlehead 'Hot Lips' × 5, pink
- 5 Tall astilbe 'Superba' × 3, purple
- 6 White bleeding heart × 1, white
- 7 Snowdrop × 12, white
- 8 Yellow trout lily × 5, yellow
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- The only bold leaves here. The rest are medium and fine. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
Why here
- In the middle. At 14 in it is the step between blue star creeper (3 in) in front and turtlehead 'Hot Lips' (3 ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- One plant. Three or more is usual for a plant of this kind, and reads better.
- Bold leaf against fine. Blue star creeper is beside it: the strongest contrast of leaf there is.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 11 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as a cottage garden: 28 of the 28 plants (100%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. The bed is tied together by its repeats: two kinds come round again along it, blue star creeper and creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple'. Cool colours (purple, blue and pink) with yellow as the warm note, and white to calm things between them.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 4 Good, 1 Satisfactory. 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 'Fire and Ice' goes in a border
At 14 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
White-centred hostas have less green to feed them, so this is slower and smaller, and scorches in sun. In shade, with patience, nothing is brighter.
- A white accent in deep shade
- Containers
- The front of a shady bed
What to plant with hosta 'Fire and Ice'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta 'Halcyon': a low mound at the foot of its spires; happy in the same moist soil.
- Black mondo grass: fine leaves against its bold ones; spires rising out of its mound; low enough (8 in) to stand in front of it.
- Japanese painted fern: fine leaves against its bold ones; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about hosta 'Fire and Ice'
Does hosta 'Fire and Ice' need sun or shade?
Hosta 'Fire and Ice' grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does hosta 'Fire and Ice' 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 'Fire and Ice' be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 20 in (50 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 14 in (35 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many hosta 'Fire and Ice' plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is hosta 'Fire and Ice' 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.
What does hosta 'Fire and Ice' look like in winter?
Hosta 'Fire and Ice' 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
- August lily Hosta plantaginea
- Hosta Hosta
- Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd'
- Hosta 'August Moon' Hosta 'August Moon'
- Hosta 'Blue Angel' Hosta 'Blue Angel'
- Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears'
- Hosta 'Curly Fries' Hosta 'Curly Fries'
- Hosta 'Elegans' Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans'
- Hosta 'Empress Wu' Hosta 'Empress Wu'
- Hosta 'First Frost' Hosta 'First Frost'
- Hosta 'Francee' Hosta 'Francee'
- Hosta 'Frances Williams' Hosta sieboldiana 'Frances Williams'
- Hosta 'Gold Standard' Hosta 'Gold Standard'
- Hosta 'Golden Tiara' Hosta 'Golden Tiara'
- Hosta 'Great Expectations' Hosta 'Great Expectations'
- Hosta 'Guacamole' Hosta 'Guacamole'
- Hosta 'Halcyon' Hosta 'Halcyon'
- Hosta 'June' Hosta 'June'
- Hosta 'Krossa Regal' Hosta 'Krossa Regal'
- Hosta 'Liberty' Hosta 'Liberty'
- Hosta 'Patriot' Hosta 'Patriot'
- Hosta 'Paul's Glory' Hosta 'Paul's Glory'
- Hosta 'Praying Hands' Hosta 'Praying Hands'
- Hosta 'Royal Standard' Hosta 'Royal Standard'
- Hosta 'Sagae' Hosta 'Sagae'
- Hosta 'So Sweet' Hosta 'So Sweet'
- Hosta 'Stained Glass' Hosta 'Stained Glass'
- Hosta 'Sum and Substance' Hosta 'Sum and Substance'
- Hosta 'Wide Brim' Hosta 'Wide Brim'
- White-margined wavy hosta Hosta undulata 'Albomarginata'
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
- 14 in (35 cm) tall, 20 in (50 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid July to early August; upright spires; lavender
- Leaves
- Bold texture, herbaceous; variegated, dark green
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Part shade, 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.