Hosta ‘Sorbet’ Variegated Plantain Lily | Purple Stem Shade Perennial | Bareroot Shade Garden Plant

Add striking foliage and elegant contrast to your shade garden with Hosta ‘Sorbet’, a fast-growing variegated Plantain Lily prized for its glossy green leaves, creamy-white margins, and unique deep burgundy-purple stems. This perennial creates a lush mounded display that brightens woodland gardens, shaded borders, and patio containers throughout the growing season.

A reverse sport of the popular ‘Raspberry Sundae’ Hosta, ‘Sorbet’ offers beautiful texture and color while remaining easy to grow and low maintenance. In midsummer, soft lavender-purple flowers rise above the foliage and attract pollinators to shaded garden spaces.

Why Gardeners Love Hosta ‘Sorbet’

• Glossy green leaves with creamy-white edges
• Unique burgundy-purple stems (petioles)
• Lavender-purple summer blooms
• Perfect for shade and woodland gardens
• Excellent container perennial
• Fast-growing and easy care
• Pollinator-friendly flowers

Plant Details

• Botanical Name: Hosta ‘Sorbet’
• Common Name: Plantain Lily
• Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
• Foliage Color: Green with creamy-white margins
• Stem Color: Burgundy-purple
• Flower Color: Lavender Purple
• Mature Height: 14–16 inches
• Mature Spread: 24 inches
• Growth Habit: Mounded, clumping
• Bloom Season: Midsummer
• Light Requirements: Partial Shade to Full Shade
• Water Needs: Moderate
• Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-draining soil
• Hardiness Zones: 3–9
• Characteristics: Shade-loving, low maintenance, pollinator friendly

Ideal Garden Uses

Shade gardens
Woodland borders
Container gardening
Under trees and shrubs
Cottage gardens
Groundcover plantings
Mixed perennial beds
Patio and shaded entryway containers

Companion Plants

Pairs beautifully with:

• Ferns (Dryopteris, Athyrium)
• Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’
• Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ or ‘Caramel’
• Astilbe
• Pulmonaria
• Japanese Painted Ferns
• Bleeding Hearts

These shade-loving companions create beautiful layered texture and color.

Care Tips

• Plant in rich, moisture-retentive soil
• Keep soil consistently moist during hot weather
• Prefers partial to full shade
• Apply mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds
• Fertilize lightly in spring for vigorous growth
• Remove spent foliage in fall or early spring
• Divide clumps every few years to maintain vigor