Secrets of Successful Propagation: Growing Hosta ventricosa From Seeds

The Hosta ventricosa, also known as “Purple Crown” is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Liliaceae, genus Hosta.

It has a thick rhizome with leaves that are ovate-heart-shaped, ovate to ovate-oblong, with tips that are often short-tailed or abruptly pointed, and bases that are heart-shaped or nearly truncate.

The flower scapes can reach up to 100 cm tall and bear blossoms; the bracts are rectangular-oblong to lanceolate, white, and membranous.

The flowers are solitary, with the corolla tube abruptly expanding upwards into a near-funnel shape when in full bloom, displaying a purplish-red color; the stamens extend beyond the corolla.

The fruit is a cylindrical capsule, blooming occurs from June to July, and fruiting from July to September.

The Purple Crown thrives in shady and moist environments, growing under forests, on grassy slopes, or along roadsides, and it has medicinal uses such as hemostasis, pain relief, and detoxification, for conditions including hematemesis, metrorrhagia, damp-heat, sore throat, stomachache, and toothache.

I. Morphological Characteristics

The rhizome is thick, measuring 0.3-1 cm in diameter.

The leaves are ovate-heart-shaped, ovate to ovate-oblong, 8-19 cm long, and 4-17 cm wide, with tips that are usually short-tailed or abruptly pointed, and bases that are heart-shaped or nearly truncate; only rarely do the leaves extend downward at their bases to become slightly wedge-shaped, and they have 7-11 pairs of lateral veins. The petioles are 6-30 cm long.

The flower scapes stand 60-100 cm tall, with 10-30 flowers each; the bracts are rectangular-oblong to lanceolate, 1-2 cm long, white, and membranous.

The solitary flowers are 4-5.8 cm long, with the corolla tube abruptly expanding upwards into a near-funnel shape when in full bloom, colored purplish-red; the pedicels are 7-10 mm long; the stamens are completely free and extend beyond the corolla.

The fruit is a three-angled, cylindrical capsule, 2.5-4.5 cm long and 6-7 mm in diameter. The blooming period is from June to July, and the fruiting period is from July to September.

II. Growth Environment

The Purple Crown grows under forests, on grassy slopes, or along roadsides, at altitudes of 500-2400m. It is cold-resistant, prefers shady and moist conditions, and flourishes in fertile loamy soil.

III. Growth and Propagation

Seeds are sown at the end of February or the beginning of March in a moist, fertile sandy loam nursery bed, which should be carefully prepared.

Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in 45°C warm water for 24 hours for germination, allowed to cool naturally.

The seeds are either sown in rows or broadcast, with row furrows about 3 cm deep and spaced about 20 cm apart; seeds are mixed with fine sand and evenly sown into the furrows, then covered with a thin layer of charcoal ash or wood ash, just enough to conceal the seeds, followed by a covering of straw or Miscanthus to retain moisture.

Alternatively, seeds are spread evenly over the nursery bed, covered with charcoal ash or wood ash, and then straw or Miscanthus, with the bed surface kept moist after sowing.

Seedlings emerge after about 15 days, at which time the straw cover should be removed. When seedlings reach 3-4 cm in height, a diluted liquid manure fertilizer of about 1000 kilograms per hectare is applied, and weeding, thinning, and shading are also necessary.

Seedlings that reach 6-8 cm within the same year can be transplanted.

In spring, the rhizomes of the Purple Crown are cut into 5-6 cm long segments with buds, dipped in a 0.5% potassium permanganate solution, and planted in prepared nursery bed furrows, then covered with about 3 cm of charcoal ash or humus to keep the soil moist.

Seedlings usually emerge after about 15 days. Although propagation by dividing the plant’s horizontal rhizomes is faster, it is less commonly used in production due to a lower rate of reproduction.

IV. Primary Value

Garden Uses

• The Purple Crown is a shade-tolerant foliage plant, often grown in clusters in rock gardens or on the north side of buildings.
• It can be potted for indoor ornamental display.
• Used as a material for cut flowers.
• Planted under forests as a ground cover for ornamental purposes.

Medicinal Value

The whole plant is used for hemostasis, pain relief, and detoxification. It is applied to treat hematemesis, metrorrhagia, damp-heat, sore throats, stomachaches, and toothaches.