A Mysterious Celery-Green Clue-Dropper with Dark Vein Contrast
Meg and Jim Dalton created Hosta 'Sherlock' as an unregistered hybrid of H. 'Grecian Vase' × H. 'Komodo Dragon'. The broad leaves open in a distinctive celery green and lighten to yellow through the season, while the darker green veins hold their colour and create a striking contrast that makes the foliage read like a fingerprint — unmistakably individual. Leaf margins are ruffled and wavy with a sharp, twisted tip that adds a refined, detective-worthy detail. It grows reliably across Canadian hardiness zones 3–9. Use it as a collector's accent or a textural focal point in a shaded or partially sunny border.
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Celery Green to Yellow Lutescent Shift: Leaves open in a fresh celery green and lighten gradually to yellow through the season, with the darker green veins holding their colour to create a bold, two-tone contrast that deepens as the foliage matures.
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Striking Dark Vein Contrast: Prominent green veins stand out against the lightening celery-to-yellow leaf surface, giving 'Sherlock' a distinctive, almost graphic quality that rewards close observation.
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Ruffled Wavy Margin with Twisted Tip: Broad leaves are edged with a nice ruffle and wavy margin that ends in a sharp, twisted tip — a refined detail that sets this cultivar apart from standard medium hostas.
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Semi-Upright Unique Clump: Forms a distinctive semi-upright mound 43 cm (17") tall and 76 cm (30") wide that holds its architectural presence throughout the season without flopping.
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Grecian Vase × Komodo Dragon Heritage: The cross of two bold parent cultivars gives 'Sherlock' its broad leaf scale, ruffled texture, and the lutescent colour journey that makes it a genuinely mysterious and rewarding garden plant.
| Feature |
Specification |
| Size (H × W) |
43 cm × 76 cm (17" × 30") |
| Hardiness Zone |
3–9 |
| Colour |
Celery green to yellow (lutescent) with dark green veins |
| Light Requirements |
Partial to full shade |
Grower's Tip: 'Sherlock' handles Canadian winters with ease from Zone 3 through 9, and the celery-to-yellow colour journey is most dramatic with dappled morning light — the kind of light you'd find filtering through the mature maples in a Charlottetown, PEI cottage garden in July. We grow it at our nursery in Bécancour, QC and verify the characteristic dark vein contrast and ruffled twisted tips before every plant ships. Our True to Type standard means you receive the authentic Dalton selection, confirmed before it leaves Bécancour.
