<i>Hosta </i>plant named ‘Silver Bullet’

Abstract

A new and distinct Hosta plant named ‘Silver Bullet’ producing small-sized rounded mounds of dense, basal, cordate to nearly rounded, flat, leaves with broadly acute to rounded apices, cordate bases and slightly impressed veins. The leaves are highly-glaucous intense bluish-green and hold their color through the season. The campanulate flowers are pale lavender striped opening just above the foliage beginning in early July for about two weeks. ‘Silver Bullet’ is useful in the landscape, as a container plant, a specimen or en masse.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Hosta plant named Hosta ‘Silver Bullet’ as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance of the new plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, temperature, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

(2) The drawings show a seven-year-old plant of ‘Silver Bullet’ in a shaded trial garden at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplement fertilizer and water as needed.

(3) FIG. 1 shows the landscape foliage habit of a plant in late summer.

(4) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of a leaf of a plant.

(5) FIG. 3 shows a close-up of a flower and bud.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(6) The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Hosta ‘Silver Bullet’, has not been observed under all possible environments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristics will vary with plants that are more mature or plants that are less mature. The phenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of a seven-year-old plant in a shaded trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer. Botanical classification: Hosta x hybrid; Parentage: Female or seed parent is a proprietary streaked sport of ‘Love Pat’; male or pollen parent is H10-210-2, a hybrid of ‘Blue Mouse Ears’; Propagation: Garden division and sterile shoot tip tissue culture; Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About three weeks;

(7) Docket No. HSSBU-21.53 Page 4 of 10 Growth rate: Slow; Crop time: About five months to seven months to finish during the spring in a one-liter container from rooted tissue culture plantlet during the warm portion of the growing season; Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching; Root color: Nearest RHS NN155C when actively growing; Plant shape and habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial with basal rosette of leaves emerging from rhizomes producing a medium-sized mound of outwardly to slightly upwardly petioles and leaves and mostly outwardly angled scapes flowering slightly above the foliage; Plant size: Foliage height to about 28 cm above soil line to the top of the leaves, to about 33 cm tall to the top of the flowers and to about 56 cm wide at the widest point just above the soil line; Foliage description: Rounded to nearly cordate; broadly acute to rounded apex, cordate base; margin entire; flat, not sinuate; not bullate; veins moderately impressed; glabrous and highly glaucous both surfaces; flexible; not variegated; Leaf blade size: To about 12.7 cm long and about 12.7 cm wide about halfway from the apex; average about 11.2 cm long and 10.5 cm wide; Leaf blade color: Early season and expanding adaxial between RHS N138A and RHS 137A, abaxial between RHS 146A and RHS N138A; mid-season and mature adaxial between RHS 137A and RHS N189D with wax and with wax removed between RHS 131A and RHS 139A, abaxial between RHS 138A and RHS 191D with wax, and nearest RHS 138A without wax; Veins: 8 to 10 pairs with midrib; slightly impressed adaxial and slightly costate and smooth abaxial; Vein color: Young adaxial nearest RHS 138A and abaxial nearest RHS 138B; mature adaxial nearest RHS 191B with proximal midrib variable, nearest RHS 115D and between RHS 145C and RHS 145D, and abaxial nearest RHS 191B; Petiole: Glabrous and glaucous both adaxial and abaxial; moderately concavo-convex proximally and shallowly distally; stiff; outwardly; to 17 cm long, 20 mm wide at base, broadening to about 24 mm before blade, about 5 mm deep at base, average about 15 cm long and 9 mm wide and 4 mm deep; Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS N138B, abaxial nearest RHS N138B with midrib nearest RHS 145B; Flower description: Buds one to two days prior to opening: Clavate with broadly acute apex and narrow tube and rounded base; about 32 mm long and 11 mm in diameter at the widest portion in the bulb, tube to about 14 mm long and to about 3 mm diameter at base, tapering rapidly beyond bulb; Bud color one to two days prior to opening: Corolla tube between RHS 193B and RHS NN155D, bulb between RHS 76B and RHS 76D, less pigmented closer to opening; Flowers: Perfect; incomplete; campanulate; attitude outwardly to slightly drooping; to 41 mm long to exserted pistil; corolla to 38 mm long and 25 mm wide at apex, fused in basal 18 mm, free in the distal 7 mm, decreasing in size distally; corolla tube portion 16 mm long and rapidly tapering to 3 mm diameter at base; with rounded base; flowers tightly arranged on scape; Flowering lasting: Persists for a normal period, usually individually about one day on plant; Flowering period: Scapes remain effective with flowers beginning early July for about two weeks; with about 10 to 12 flowers per scape; mostly secund; Fragrance: No detectable fragrance; Tepal: Two sets of three; clavate; entire margins; acute apex; fused in basal 18 mm; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; inner set to about 7 mm wide and 38 mm long; outer set to about 6 mm wide and 38 mm long; Tepal color: Outer set adaxial distally between RHS NN155D and RHS 76D in 3 mm longitudinal center and nearest RHS NN155C along edges, abaxial nearest RHS 76D; inner set between RHS NN155D and RHS 76D in 3 mm longitudinal center and nearest RHS NN155C along edges, abaxial between RHS NN155D and lighter than RHS 76D, with a 0.5 mm translucent margin; corolla tube adaxial nearest RHS NN155C, abaxial between RHS NN155D and RHS 93B; Gynoecium: Single; to about 41 mm long; superior; Style.—Cylindrical; glabrous; to about 36 mm long and 0.7 mm diameter; straight with distal 5 mm arcuate upwards to about 90°; color nearest RHS 157C. Stigma.—Puberulent; tri-lobed; about 1 mm long and 1 mm diameter; color between RHS 157D and RHS 157C. Ovary.—Ellipsoidal; superior; apex rounded; base rounded to truncate; sides smooth, about 4 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 145A. Androecium: Six; Filaments.—Six; cylindrical; approximately 38 mm long and 0.5 mm in diameter; curved or bent upwardly about 90° in the distal 5 mm; color in distal one-half nearest RHS NN155B transitioning to nearest RHS 145D in the proximal one-third. Anthers.—Oblong with rounded apices; basifixed, longitudinally dehiscent; about 3.5 mm long and 2 mm wide when fully developed; color between RHS 166C and RHS 166B. Pollen.—Abundant; spherical; less than 0.1 mm long; color nearest RHS 21B. Peduncle: Cylindrical; usually one per mature division; about four per plant; glabrous; moderately glaucous; angular to arching; to about 33 cm long, and about 6 mm in diameter at base, average about 29 cm tall and 5 mm diameter at base; Inflorescence: Flowering portion to about 6 cm long and 5 cm wide; with single bract subtending each flower; about 110 to 12 flowers per inflorescence; Peduncle color: Between RHS N138C and RHS 138A; Pedicel: Cylindrical; glabrous; slightly glaucous; to about 7 mm long and 2 mm diameter, decreasing distally; attitude outwardly in flower; Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 193A; Floral bracts: Each flower normally subtended by a single bract; ovate; acute apex and truncate base; entire margin; glabrous and slightly glaucous abaxial and adaxial; to about 10 mm long 5 mm wide, decreasing distally; Bract color: Between RHS N138C and RHS 138A; Fruit: Not yet observed, but fecundity unknown; Seeds: Not yet observed; Disease resistance: The thick glaucous leaves provide some resistance to slug feeding. Other resistance to pests (including: Odocoileus virginianus and Oryctotagus cuniculus) and diseases common to Hostas is equal that typical of other cultivars. Growth: The new plant grows best and shows best coloration with plenty of moisture, adequate drainage and light shade, but is able to tolerate some drought when mature. Hardiness: at least from USDA zone 3 through 8, and other disease resistance is typical of that of other Hostas.