H. ‘Ruby Earrings’ knows how to accessorize.
 
Bright yellow leaves are deeply cupped and lightly puckered, with exaggerated "ears" at the base that give each leaf an unmistakable shape. But the real jewelry is the reddish-maroon color that rises from the petiole and travels right into the leaf.
 
Then come the flowers—and they don't let the color story down. Purple blooms carry a white star-shaped center, adding another unexpected detail to a hosta already full of them. It is a hosta that earns its name without trying too hard.
 
Why You’ll Love It
Bright yellow foliage with distinctive "ear" shapes
Reddish-maroon color extends into the leaves
Deeply cupped, lightly puckered foliage
Deep purple flowers with a white star-shaped center
Purple scapes and pods continue the color story
 
Connoisseur’s Corner
‘Ruby Earrings’ comes from the same red-petiole breeding work behind several of Bob Solberg’s "red" hostas. Its pedigree is a complex one: the pod parent combines ‘Smiley Face’, ‘Beet Salad’ and ‘Peacock Strut’, while the pollen parent brings together a numbered 48/49 seedling with ‘Sun Shower’ and ‘Designer Genes’.
 
That lineage is part of what makes ‘Ruby Earrings’ interesting to collectors, but the finished plant is what tells the story. The yellow, cupped foliage carries exaggerated lobes at the leaf base, while the reddish-maroon pigment doesn't stop at the petiole—it moves visibly into the leaf.
 
Registered in 2025, ‘Ruby Earrings’ is a particularly distinctive expression of this red-petiole breeding line.