Pineapple Upsidedown Cake Hosta
One of my bestest favorites. Pineapple Upsidedown Cake Hosta. It has one of the longest names. It sorta got its name from its parent plant. Pineapple Poll was where it came from.
In the Hosta world, as well as many other forms in the plant world, sports can occur. A sport is a section of growth that is different than the rest of the plant. This can be caused by insect damage or a mineral change, or…
Sports
In this case, the sport is better looking than the original. Pineapple Poll is a solid dark green hosta with wavy elongated leaves. Along comes this sport that has golden green in the center of its green leaves.
It doesn’t have that normal “Hosta” look. The leaves are long and narrow with rippled edges. The center of the leaf is goldish green with a jagged outside border of dark green. It grows quickly so you get a large clump faster.
It only grows about 18 inches tall but can get to be about 4 feet across eventually. The flowers are lavender and bloom in August on stems almost 3 feet tall. They very rarely make any seeds but Curly Fries Hosta did come from a chance seedling a few years ago.
Recognizable
I have this Pineapple Upsidedown Cake Hosta growing in several places in my yard. The different shape and colors of the leaves allows it to stand out among other Hostas that may be in the area. It looks really nice tucked in under a larger shrub that has been limbed up underneath.
Since it fills out pretty quickly, starting with a smaller plant isn’t too big of a deal. Within a couple of years there is a pretty good sized mound of this dessert sounding plant. Pineapple Upsidedown Cake Hosta almost sounds like a garden plant for snacking.
Pineapple Upsidedown Cake Hosta seeds are rare, but…
These Hostas do put out plenty of flowers. Lavender tube-shaped flowers bloom on upright stalks in late summer. But, unlike most hostas, they rarely set any seeds.
One time a few years ago now, Bob Solberg, a well-known hosta breeder, had one that made seeds. He grew them to see what would grow. This is how many of the varieties have been discovered.
An interesting plant that grew from these rare seeds was what he named Curly Fries.
