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Hosta 'Francee'

Hosta 'Francee' · Asparagaceae Popular

Hosta 'Francee' (Hosta 'Francee')
Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Heart-shaped, forest-green leaves, each with a crisp, narrow white edge, in a wide, even mound.

Size
22 in tall, 3½ ft wide
Zones
3 to 9
Light
Part sun 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 'Francee'

The planner designed this bed around hosta 'Francee' 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 'Francee' stands where it does.

A 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) bed at eye level in late July: Hosta 'Francee', Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple', Blue star creeper, White snakeroot 'Chocolate', Bicolor monkshood, Northern sea oats 'River Mist', Snowdrop, Spring snowflake.
A 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, part shade, seen from the path in late July.
4. White snakeroot 'Chocolate'44. White snakeroot 'Chocolate'44. White snakeroot 'Chocolate'45. Bicolor monkshood55. Bicolor monkshood55. Bicolor monkshood51. Hosta 'Francee'12. Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple'22. Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple'22. Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple'23. Blue star creeper33. Blue star creeper33. Blue star creeper33. Blue star creeper33. Blue star creeper32. Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple'22. Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple'22. Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple'22. Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple'24. White snakeroot 'Chocolate'45. Bicolor monkshood56. Northern sea oats 'River Mist'66. Northern sea oats 'River Mist'66. Northern sea oats 'River Mist'67. Snowdrop7. Snowdrop7. Snowdrop7. Snowdrop7. Snowdrop7. Snowdrop7. Snowdrop8. Spring snowflake8. Spring snowflake8. Spring snowflake8. Spring snowflake8. Spring snowflake
From above, to scale. Each circle is one plant, as wide as the room it needs.

The plants

  1. 1 Hosta 'Francee' × 1, dark green leaves
  2. 2 Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple' × 7, purple
  3. 3 Blue star creeper × 5, blue
  4. 4 White snakeroot 'Chocolate' × 4, white
  5. 5 Bicolor monkshood × 4, blue
  6. 6 Northern sea oats 'River Mist' × 3, green
  7. 7 Snowdrop × 7, white
  8. 8 Spring snowflake × 5, white

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 22 in it is the step between creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple' (8 in) in front and white snakeroot 'Chocolate' (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
  • One plant, alone. A feature plant is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
  • 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: 24 of the 24 plants (100%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. The most in flower at one time is 3 kinds, from late July. It is planted in layers: about 8 in at the front, 14 in in the middle and 3½ ft at the back.

The planner's own design check: 14 Excellent, 2 Good, 1 Satisfactory.

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

Where hosta 'Francee' goes in a border

At 22 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).

Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.

The standard white-edged hosta: it keeps its edge all season and stands more sun than most. A dependable plant for massing and for edging a shady walk.

  • Massing in shade
  • Edging a shady path
  • Containers

What to plant with hosta 'Francee'

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

  • Astilbe: adds the flowers, late June to mid July; fine leaves against its bold ones; happy in the same moist soil.
  • Japanese painted fern: fine leaves against its bold ones; happy in the same moist soil.
  • Bleeding heart: adds the flowers, early May to early June; medium leaves against its bold ones; happy in the same moist soil.

Questions about hosta 'Francee'

Does hosta 'Francee' need sun or shade?

Hosta 'Francee' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), 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 'Francee' 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 'Francee' be planted?

3 ft (90 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3½ ft (100 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 22 in (55 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many hosta 'Francee' plants do I need?

At 3 ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

  • 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
  • 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
  • 4 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 'Francee' 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 'Francee' look like in winter?

Hosta 'Francee' 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
22 in (55 cm) tall, 3½ ft (100 cm) wide
Plant
3 ft (90 cm) apart
Height class
Medium short (18 to 24 in)
Place in the bed
Middle
Flowers
Mid July to early August; upright spires; lavender
Leaves
Bold texture, herbaceous; dark green, variegated
Shape
Mounding, clumping
Hardy in
USDA zones 3 to 9
Light
Part sun, 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.