Hosta Sieboldiana Frances Williams

Another old favorite Hosta is Hosta Sieboldiana ‘Frances Williams’. Frances was named for the person who discovered it and is grown in many shade gardens.

This large plant gets to about 28’ high and 48’ wide so it needs plenty of space to grow. A large garden is required if you want to grow this plant (unless it is the only plant you want to grow).

This variegated hosta has blue grey leaves with a cream colored border that are nicely puckered. If you give this shade plant a little extra sun the cream becomes more yellow but you could get a little leaf burning because this cultivar can’t handle much in the way of heat or sunlight.

The flowers of Hosta Sieboldiana ‘Frances Williams’ are lavender in color and will bloom in or around July.

Dividing the Hosta Frances Williams is just like dividing any other Hosta except that it does not grow as fast as some so you may not get as many new plants as quickly as you could with another variety.

A sport of Hosta Sieboldiana Elegans which started the “blue hostas” that we are so familiar with today this plant has many sports of its own which are just as beautiful in different ways.

Caring for the hosta Frances Williams is like caring for any other hosta, give it lots of shade, lots of water, and plenty of room to grow.

This is a slug resistant garden plant (not slug proof) but it is susceptible to leaf burn if exposed to too much sunlight. Protect this plant from the heat and sun (and deer) and it will stay healthy for decades.

This plant is a great companion to other shade loving and water loving garden plants including other types of hosta. Don’t plant this plant with your drought tolerant plants because the soil conditions that each need are not similar enough to keep both happy in the same garden bed.

If you are wanting to try out hostas this plant is a good plant for the beginner gardener and is tolerant to many types of soil. If you enjoy this plant you will begin to look for and pick up many other cultivars and before you know it you too will have a hosta collection that is the envy of … someone who wants a collection of their own.

Hosta Sieboldiana ‘Frances Williams’ is a standard in shade gardens for a reason. It is easy to grow and easy to love and will brighten many dark corners with its variegated leaves.