Plant
Hosta fortunei
Hosta fortuneiAlso known as Fortune's Plantain Lily, Fortune's Hosta
Fortune's plantain lily forms lush, overlapping mounds of broad, heart-shaped leaves textured with deep parallel veins. In midsummer, graceful upright scapes emerge well above the foliage crown, bearing racemes of trumpet-shaped pale lavender or near-white blossoms that draw pollinating bumblebees. Thriving in cool, dappled shade, its dense canopy suppresses competing understory weeds and creates moist microclimates for woodland soil organisms.
PerennialShade-TolerantFlowering
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyPhotosynthetic (autotroph)
Predators
- Garden Slug
- White-tailed Deer
- Brown Garden Snail
ThreatsHerbivory by slugs, snails, and browsing deer
HabitatsTemperate woodland margins, shaded gardens, moist slopes
Life span20–30+ years
Classification
- OrderAsparagales
- FamilyAsparagaceae
- GenusHosta
- SpeciesHosta fortunei
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Contains saponins toxic to dogs and cats if ingested; keep away from domestic pets.
- Why it is dangerous
- Contains saponins that cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal distress, and lethargy in dogs and cats upon ingestion.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Recognized by broad, heart-shaped foliage with distinct parallel ribbing and spikes of bell-shaped pale lavender blossoms.
- What to do
- Grow in areas pets cannot access, and contact a veterinarian immediately if leaves or rhizomes are chewed.
Responsible observation
- Light Exposure: Provide partial to full shade to prevent leaf margins from crisping and bleaching in hot sun.
- Pest Protection: Monitor soil and leaf undersides for slugs and snails during moist spring weather.
- Pet Care: Plant out of reach of browsing dogs or cats to prevent accidental gastrointestinal illness.
Same Genus (c) Sara Patton, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Same Genus (c) User:Vmenkov, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Herbivore Aiwok / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Marco Mussita, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Marco Mussita · cc-by
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