Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' (Abiqua Drinking Gourd Hosta) care

Light

If you have a corner where every other plant turned leggy and died, try hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd'. Thrives in partial to full shade. The deep blue colouration is best preserved with minimal direct sun exposure. Morning sun in very cool climates is tolerated but afternoon sun is damaging. Dappled woodland light is ideal. The catch: when a low-light plant does fail, it's almost always because someone watered it on the same schedule as their brighter plants. Less light = less water, every time.

Watering

Watering hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd': when the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 6-8 days in summer. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Appreciates consistent moisture. The cupped leaf shape naturally collects water, so direct root watering is preferable. Mulch heavily to conserve soil moisture and regulate temperature.

Soil and pot

Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' grows best in deep, rich, moisture-retentive loam. Incorporate generous amounts of well-rotted manure or compost to a depth of at least 30 cm. The large rhizome benefits from deep, nutrient-rich soil. pH 6.0-7.0 is optimal. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' sits happiest at around 55-70% humidity and −30-27°C (−22-80°F). Woodland-type humidity is beneficial. Mulching around the crown maintains consistent ground-level moisture and some local humidity. No overhead misting required. If you keep the room above −30 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd' sparingly. Apply a high-quality slow-release fertiliser formulated for perennials in early spring. A supplementary application of balanced liquid feed monthly during summer supports the development of large, puckered leaves. Cease feeding by late August. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Slug and snail damage — Despite thick leaves, young emerging foliage is still at risk; apply slug control measures as soon as spikes emerge in spring.
• Waterlogging — The large, moisture-hungry crown is paradoxically prone to rot if drainage is poor; improve soil structure before planting.
• Leaf spot fungi — Cercospora or Colletotrichum can cause brown spots in wet seasons; improve air circulation and avoid wetting foliage.
• Dividing too soon — This large-leaved cultivar takes 3-5 years to reach its characteristic cupped form; premature division reduces display impact.
• Deer and rabbit grazing — Both will readily strip foliage; use physical barriers or repellent sprays where wildlife pressure is high.

Companion plants

Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' pairs well with Rodgersia, Kirengeshoma, Tricyrtis, and Lysimachia. These are species with similar light and water needs, so you can group them in the same room or on the same shelf and water as a batch.

Propagation

Divide mature clumps in early spring just as the fat buds push through the soil, or in early autumn. Ensure each division contains at least two or three puckered-leaf buds with attached roots for best results. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' is toxic to pets. Hosta is listed by the ASPCA as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses due to saponin compounds. Ingestion of leaves, stems, or flowers may cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and lethargy. All parts of the plant are toxic. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd' problems & fixes
• Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' watering schedule
• Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' light requirements
• Best soil mix for hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd'
• Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' fertilizing guide
• When to repot hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd'
• How to propagate hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd'
• How to prune hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd'
• What's eating my hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd'?
• Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' growth rate & size
• Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' cold hardiness
• Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' temperature & humidity
• Is hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd' toxic to cats?
• Is hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd' toxic to dogs?
• All 77 Hosta varieties
• Getting hosta 'abiqua drinking gourd' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' qualifies for 5 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Houseplants toxic to cats & dogs — The common houseplants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs — the ones to keep out of reach, each with its symptoms and a safe alternative.
• Browse all 30 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' is also commonly called Abiqua Drinking Gourd Hosta or Drinking Gourd Plantain Lily.

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