Hi friends, today we are going to compare two wonderful hostas – Patriot and Francee.
QUICK ANSWER: The main difference between them is that Hosta ‘Francee’ has almost entirely green leaves with a small white edge, while the leaves of Hosta ‘Patriot’ are 50% white and 50% green.
1. Francee has more green pigment.
The Hosta ‘Francee’ leaf is 90% green with a white edge no thicker than one inch. The green color is very bright, and the edge has a silvery tint.
The Hosta ‘Patriot’ leaf is green in the center with wide white stripes along the edge. The white color has a creamy hue. The leaf’s green part has light green splashes, making this hosta tricolored.
The Hosta ‘Patriot’ can definitely be called variegated, while ‘Francee’ is a green hosta with thin white stripes. Therefore, if you are looking for a beautiful and contrasting variety, ‘Patriot’ would be a better choice.
2. Francee is more vigorous.
Because the leaves of ‘Francee’ are almost entirely green, they can absorb more sunlight. As a result, this plant is more vigorous, and its growth rate is quite fast.
On the other hand, ‘Patriot’ grows more slowly and requires more attention. It needs to be fertilized every year to achieve good results.
3. Patriot is smaller in size.
The faster growth rate of ‘Francee’ typically makes it larger than ‘Patriot,’ assuming both plants are grown under the same conditions and are of the same age.
At maturity, ‘Francee’ reaches over 1 foot in height and up to 3 feet in width. Meanwhile, ‘Patriot’ grows up to 1 foot in height and no more than 2 feet in width.
Additionally, this means that ‘Francee’ will require a bit more space in the garden compared to ‘Patriot’.
4. Francee is more tolerant of direct sunlight.
Due to the lower amount of white on its leaves, ‘Francee’ can handle more hours of sunlight each day. It can withstand over 6 hours of direct sunlight, though it’s best to plant it in a location where it avoids the afternoon sun.
The white parts of ‘Patriot’ leaves can easily burn if exposed to direct sun in the middle of the day. This variety can tolerate up to 4 hours of direct morning sunlight daily.
5. Francee has better disease resistance.
The greener leaves of ‘Francee’ not only promote faster growth but also provide better disease resistance. This plant can independently fend off fungal diseases and almost never needs treatment.
‘Patriot’ is a weaker variety due to the large amount of non-chlorophyll (white) tissue on its leaves. As a result, it is more vulnerable to diseases. To successfully grow this variety, you will need to treat it with fungicide from time to time.
6. Francee needs more water.
In the spring and early summer, ‘Francee’ consumes more water due to its faster growth rate and larger size. This means that in dry and hot weather, you will need to water it more frequently.
‘Patriot’ consumes less water and therefore only needs watering during extreme heat.
This applies to plants growing in the garden. If you want to grow these hostas in pots, regular watering is essential.
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