Hosta 'Fragrant Blue' – Scented Blooms on Blue Foliage

Hosta 'Fragrant Blue': Rare Fragrance Meets Blue Foliage by Aden, 1988

Registered in 1988 by Aden, 'Fragrant Blue' achieves a rare combination: intensely blue foliage AND fragrant flowers. Most hostas have either blue leaves (from H. sieboldiana lineage) or fragrant flowers (from H. plantaginea lineage), but rarely both. This cultivar bridges that genetic divide.

Breakthrough Breeding

• Family: Liliaceae (lil-ee-AY-see-ee)
• Genus: Hosta (HOSS-tuh)
• Cultivar: Fragrant Blue
• Hybridized by: Aden
• Registered/Introduced: 1988

Dual Excellence

'Fragrant Blue' forms a medium-sized mound of heart-shaped, intensely blue leaves with heavy glaucous bloom. The foliage is thick and corrugated. In late summer, it produces pale lavender flowers with a distinct, sweet fragrance—unusual for a blue-leaved hosta. The scent is most noticeable in evening hours.

To preserve the blue color, site in deep shade and avoid overhead watering. The fragrance is best appreciated near seating areas, paths, or open windows. This cultivar represents a significant breeding achievement, combining two desirable but genetically distant traits. 'Fragrant Blue' offers the best of both hosta worlds: blue beauty by day, sweet scent by night.