A Tiny Cup of Gold for the Shady Collector's Garden
Hosta 'Golden Teacup' is a compact miniature that Wilkins registered in 1989 from 'Aspen Gold' crossed with 'Gold Regal'. This slow-growing gem is prized for its profoundly cupped, puckered foliage with exceptional leaf substance. Leaves emerge bright gold in spring and shift to rich chartreuse as summer deepens. It forms a tidy, upright clump and produces white flowers in July. Canadian gardeners in Zones 3–9 will find it thrives in a shaded spot where its small scale can truly shine.
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Foliage: Small, deeply cupped and puckered gold leaves with heavy substance and a slow, deliberate growth rate — each leaf is a miniature sculpture.
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Colour Progression: Emerges bright gold in spring and transitions to rich chartreuse by midsummer, offering two distinct seasonal looks in one plant.
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Size: Mature clump reaches approximately 25 cm × 56 cm (10" × 22") — ideal for container culture, edging, or a featured spot in a shady rockery.
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Flowers: White blooms appear in July on upright scapes, adding a delicate contrast to the bold foliage.
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Hardiness: Zones 3–9 — reliably winter-hardy across Canada from the Maritimes to the Prairies.
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Availability: Offered by division only. We take very few divisions each season to protect our display bed specimen, so availability is strictly limited. Divisions taken mid-season may appear a little leggy — this is a natural result of being removed from a mature clump and they will settle into their characteristic form by the following season.
| Feature |
Specification |
| Size (H × W) |
25 cm × 56 cm (10" × 22") |
| Hardiness Zone |
3–9 |
| Colour |
Gold to chartreuse |
| Light Requirements |
Partial to full shade |
Grower's Tip: 'Golden Teacup' handles Canadian winters with ease from Zone 3 through 9 — the heavy leaf substance that makes it so striking also helps it shrug off late spring frosts. At our nursery in Bécancour, QC, we verify the characteristic cupping and gold colouration before any division leaves our care. Our True to Type standard means you receive the authentic 'Golden Teacup', not a generic gold miniature. If your division arrives mid-season and looks a little leggy, do not be concerned — this is simply the adjustment of being separated from a mature clump, and it will settle into its true form by the following season. Because we adore this cultivar and protect our display bed, divisions are offered in very small numbers each season — if you see it available, do not hesitate.
