The Hosta Companion Plant That Creates A Fragrant And Lush Look

When it comes time to choose a companion plant for hostas, contrast is key. Selecting a plant that will not only look well when set against large-leaved hostas, but offer some new elements to the shady patch, is important. Among the traits most hostas lack are fragrance, late-season flowers, and the ability to thrive on the outer margins of a tree's canopy or in other dappled shade. Enter the extremely ornamental cyclamen (Cyclamen spp.), which offers all these characteristics, while also creating a lush, low-growing carpet of beautiful flowers.

But which cyclamen variety to choose to grow alongside your hostas to add more color? The hardy cyclamen's preferred climates overlap with many of the hosta's – yet it isn't scented. Florist, or Persian cyclamen, is renowned for its fragrance, yet it mostly thrives in warmer climates where hostas don't survive. Luckily, Greek cyclamen (Cyclamen graecum) may be the "just right" option for you, given that this variety is both fragrant and can grow in somewhat cooler regions.

This member of the cyclamen bulb family thrives best in USDA zones 7 to 9. The flowers are often both showy and fragrant, with white or pinkish-purple flowers and lush, velvety, variegated leaves. These low-growing flowers are only 2 to 4 inches tall, and are best planted on the outer edges of a hosta grouping. They make a graceful transition between a path and a woodsy patch of hostas and ferns.

For a hardy, perennial ground cover to complement hostas, plant Greek cyclamen tubers directly into the ground. They can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, except boggy, poorly-draining types. In autumn, plant each tuber no more than 12 inches apart (but check your particular cultivar's spacing suggestions for specifics). Plant them about ¾ inches deep.

For northern gardeners who still want to take advantage of Greek cyclamen's fragrance and lush look, consider growing the bulbs in containers. Greek cyclamen have deep roots and require deeper pots than other cyclamen species. Because they need those taller pots, container-grown Greek cyclamen could potentially be set between hosta plants to compliment the latter's foliage with their pink blooms. For gardeners in zones 6 and lower, bring the containers into a heated, indoor area once cold weather arrives, to overwinter as houseplants. Use equal parts sand, peat, loam, and leaf mold to create the ideal conditions for pot-growing.

Caring for your cyclamen plant is similar whether you're growing it as a garden or potted plant. Make sure to keep up with watering during the flowering period, when the cyclamen's deep roots are most in need of water. Maintain damp soil, especially during flowering. If potted, the flowers may need to be watered as often as once a day, although buried pots can retain moisture much more efficiently. Once the flowers go dormant, let their growing medium stay moist but not water-logged.