Small-leaved Plantain Lily
Hosta sieboldii
Named after Philipp Franz von Siebold, a physician who smuggled these shade-loving beauties out of Japan during a period of strict national isolation.
- Scientific name
- Hosta sieboldii
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Asparagales › Asparagaceae › Hosta
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Moist forest understories, temperate woodlands, and damp grassy slopes.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis via sunlight, water, and soil nutrients).
- Range
- Japan, East Asia
- Size
- Height: 30-45 cm, Spread: 45-60 cm
- Lifespan
- 30+ years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, over-browsing by herbivores, and displacement by invasive plant species.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. You can safely approach and admire this plant. Do not ingest any part of the plant, as it contains saponins which can cause mild digestive upset in humans and is highly toxic to dogs and cats.
Hosta sieboldii , the small-leaved plantain lily , is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Sakhalin, the Kurils, and Japan. A number of cultivars are available.
Photo: Marco Mussita, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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