A new and distinct cultivar of Hosta plant named &#8216;June Fever&#8217;, characterized by its relatively compact plant habit; green and light green variegated leaf color; shiny leaves; and lavender-colored flowers that are positioned above the foliage on strong and erect scapes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hosta plant, botanically known as Hosta tardiana , and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name June Fever.

The new Hosta was discovered by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Barneveld, The Netherlands, as a whole plant mutation of the Hosta tardiana cultivar June, not patented, in May, 1998.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisions and by tissue-cultured microplants in a controlled environment in Barneveld, The Netherlands since May, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Hosta are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar June Fever have not been observed under all possible environmental and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of June Fever . These characteristics in combination distinguish June Fever as a new and distinct Hosta cultivar:

2. Green and light green variegated leaf color; leaves shiny.

3. Lavender-colored flowers that are positioned above the foliage on strong and erect scapes.

Plants of the new Hosta are most similar to plants of the parent, the cultivar June. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Barneveld, The Netherlands, plants of the new Hosta differed from plants of the cultivar June in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Hosta had green and light green variegated leaves whereas plants of the cultivar June had bluish gray-colored leaves.

2. Plants of the new Hosta had shinier leaves than plants of the cultivar June.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were about two years old and grown in 25-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring and summer in Barneveld, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day temperatures were about 20 C. and night temperatures were about 16 C.

Parentage: Whole plant mutation of Hosta tardiana cultivar June, not patented.

Propagation method. By tissue culture.

Rooting time. Tissue-cultured microplants will initiate roots in about six weeks.

Plant height to top of leaf plane. About 30 cm.

Plant height to top of flowers. About 50 cm.

Appearance. Single campanulate flowers with fused perianth arranged on racemes. Flowering stems arise from leaf axils. Typically about eight flowering stems per plant; about 15 flowers per raceme. Flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Natural flowering season. Summer in The Netherlands; flowering recurrent during this period.

Flower longevity. About seven days.

Seed/fruit description. Seed and fruit development have not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hosta have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hosta.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hosta have been observed to tolerate temperatures from 30 to 50 C.