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Project Noah Nature School
Hosta plantaginea
This plant has big light green leaves and flowers on stalks throughout the plant.
1. Why doesn't it have a lot of flowers?
Hostas have ribbed leaves borne in a cluster at the base of the plant; the leaves are generally large but range in size from 1.2 to 45 cm (0.5 to 18 inches) long and 1.2 to 30 cm (0.5 to 12 inches) wide. The tubular white or bluish-purple flowers are borne in clusters at the tip of stalks that emerge from the leaves. Bloom time varies from late spring to early fall depending on the species. The fruit is a long capsule.
Why do you think some of those leaves are darker green and others are more bright green, even yellow?
Plantain Lilies
Why doesn’t it have a lot of flowers? It may not look like a lot of flowers but the blooms that this plantain lily puts out attract its fair share of pollinators that get the job done. The deep white flowers with the purple center attract butterflies that see purple very well and hummingbirds that can see purple well from a distance. What do hummingbirds and butterflies have in common that make it easy for them to feed from these flowers?
Do you think those long tube-like flowers make it harder or easier for bees to go inside and pollinate them?
Spotted on Jul 21, 2021
Submitted on Jul 21, 2021
