Hosta 'So Sweet'

Questions about hosta 'So Sweet'

Does hosta 'So Sweet' need sun or shade?

Hosta 'So Sweet' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), 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 'So Sweet' 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.

When does hosta 'So Sweet' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early August to early September. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should hosta 'So Sweet' be planted?

20 in (50 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 22 in (55 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 'So Sweet' plants do I need?

At 20 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 4 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 14 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 three in one group.

Is hosta 'So Sweet' 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 'So Sweet'?

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

• Pink tickseed: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late June to early September, pink, not white.
• Woodland phlox: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 8 in narrower, flowers late April to late May.
• Mountain bluet 'Amethyst in Snow': the same job in a bed and the same colour; 4 in taller, flowers late May to late June.

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

What flowers after hosta 'So Sweet'?

Hosta 'So Sweet' is over by early September. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
• October daphne: from mid September to late October, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Meadow saffron: from mid September to mid October, 6 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does hosta 'So Sweet' look like in winter?

Hosta 'So Sweet' 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.