Sieboldii hosta
Hosta sieboldiana
オオバギボウシ
Asparagaceae
A large native perennial of the broadleaf forest understory.
Native Edible Container Wildlife value: medium Maintenance: low perennial
Planting calendar (Tokyo baseline)
Pick a region in the header to shift the window.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
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| Planting | ||||||||||||
| Flowering | ||||||||||||
| Fruiting |
Tokyo baseline: months 3, 4, 10
Growing requirements
| Light | part shade → shade |
|---|---|
| Water | medium |
| Soil | humus-rich, moisture-retentive loam |
| Hardiness | Tokyo lowland |
| Container | Yes · Min container size: 30 L |
| Maintenance | low |
| Common issues | Slugs (proliferate in damp shade) |
Where to source
Seedlings, divisions, or seed. Native plant suppliers in Japan are the right starting point.
- Search Japanese suppliers for seedlings · native-plant suppliers
About this native
A large native perennial of the broadleaf forest understory.
Tolerant of deep shade, with large bluish-green leaves. Sends
up pale-purple flower spikes in early summer; a major nectar
source for native bumblebees. The young leaf petioles
("urui") are a traditional sansai vegetable.
Usage
Shade groundcover or container specimen. Many cultivars
exist with variegated leaves; the native blue-leaf form is
worth seeking out for the pollinator value.
Practical info
| Native | Yes |
|---|---|
| Edible | Yes |
| Edible parts | Young leaf petioles ("urui") |
| Wildlife value | medium |
| Attracts |
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Sources
Primary references, publications, and observation data this page draws on. How sources are picked is described in About the data .
- Ecological Society of Japan — endemic plants
- Tokyo Metropolitan Parks — native flora
- Catalog editor (niwa, 2026-05)