Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’
Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’ was chosen as Hosta of the Year in 2004. It is impressive because of its huge size, but I think it starts out as one of the least attractive hostas in early spring because its rounded chartreuse leaves stay crumpled for such a long time. I almost lost this hosta over one winter several years ago when chipmunks dug holes in my gardens and ate the roots, leaving this one in pretty sad shape. After years of limping along and looking really pitiful despite all the special care I was giving it, my Sum and Substance has finally recovered fully and this year has leaves that measure seventeen to eighteen inches long. I have collected Sum and Substance seeds for a long time, and all of the resulting seedlings, like their parent, have grown to become hostas with exceptionally large leaves.
Leaves:
16 inches long, 14 inches wide
14 to 17 vein pairs
Flowers:
pale lavender with white margins
blooms late July to mid-August
48-inch high scapes
Mound size:
70 or more inches in diameter
31 inches high
Filed Under Plants in my Gardens, Hosta
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