Please tell me Guardian Angel is not sick

dian57 · Post by **dian57** » Jul 10, 2008 7:53 pm

About 4-5 years ago I bought a Guardian Angel from Chris and Brian. Enormous, healthy, gorgeous plant. Every year it comes up bigger and better than the year prior. But every year it comes up completely blue. This is fine with me because I love the plant.

Now this year it comes up differently. This hosta sits all alone in the corner of a separate bed from the rest of the collection. I've been nowhere near it with tools, just some handweeding once early in the spring.

Is this a normal thing for Guardian Angel to do at this point in his life? Do I have a problem?

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Jul 10, 2008 8:39 pm

Okay, I'll tell you.....it's not sick. That's what Guardian Angel should look like. Mine comes up with wonderful coloring, then as the year goes on gradually turns more blue, but usually keeps some of the variegation.
Linda P

Roxanne · Post by **Roxanne** » Jul 10, 2008 8:48 pm

If it comes up completely blue, then it's just Blue Angel, or something like that.

Guardian Angel's colors should look like the leaf pic you showed, but only early on, then go to blue or green, whatever you want to call it, not the reverse. You just have one eye there that is "true"
I'd say you're plant needs dividing.

Linda is right, the picture you show of the leaf is what GA should look like, but the rest of the plant says otherwise to me.

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Jul 11, 2008 8:17 am

You're right, Roxanne. I didn't wait for the second pic to load before I posted. It looks like there's an eye or two of Guardian Angel and the rest is Blue Angel.
But it still doesn't look sick to me...

Linda P

Post by **Chris_W** » Jul 11, 2008 8:36 am

I don't know, I see mostly Guardian Angel there, and only a couple leaves that might actually be solid blue.

GA likes a cool, very shady spot for the best coloring, and if you can find a spot like that then every new leaf will have the light misted center when it comes up, but if it is hot and sunny then the leaves might appear nearly solid blue at first. You really have to watch the new leaves closely to tell if you have any blue angel in there. I wouldn't go by the older foliage, but it definitely is possible to get an eye or two revert back to Blue Angel once in a while. I have an older clump myself that has one eye that is solid, but took 2 years for me to know for certain.

Carol · Post by **Carol** » Jul 11, 2008 2:05 pm

My Guardian Angel from Chris is in deep shade. It looked like Blue Angel while it was still young, but it came up with beautiful wings (oops, I mean leaves) this summer.

digs57 · Post by **digs57** » Jul 12, 2008 4:25 am

If you feel that you'd prefer a Guardian Angel that keeps its variegation all season, get Beckoning.

dian57 · Post by **dian57** » Jul 12, 2008 6:31 am

Whew!
I love the way Guardian Angel looks and am so relieved to hear it's normal. He is located in deep shade.

He's sort of hidden behind a tall stand of hybrid daylilies from John. When people walk over to admire the beautiful terracotta coloring of the daylilies and notice Guardian Angel they are both surprised and impressed.

Maybe it's time to transplant the daylilies to give him center stage.

Thanks for all the reassurrances. And, wow, that Beckoning is some gorgeous hosta!