Hosta 'Clifford's Forest Fire' is grown for a foliage display that genuinely changes through the season rather than holding one look from spring to fall. New leaves emerge with vivid chartreuse-gold centers streaked and mottled in red-purple, held on bright cherry-red petioles that stay colorful even after the leaf blade itself settles to a calmer green as the season progresses — a two-tone effect (bold color up top, saturated red stems below) that reads as fire from across the bed even once the leaves have matured. Pale lavender flowers rise on scapes above the foliage in summer, typical of the genus and secondary to the leaf display.
It wants the same conditions as any hosta: rich, humus-heavy soil, consistent moisture, and part to full shade, with a little morning sun actually helping deepen the red stem color rather than harming the plant, so long as it isn't exposed to hot afternoon sun that scorches the leaves. Like all hostas it is a preferred food for deer, rabbits, and especially slugs and snails, whose early-season feeding on emerging shoots can disfigure a whole season's display before it even opens — get a barrier down before the shoots break ground, not after damage appears. Divide congested clumps every few years in early spring or fall to keep the color display vigorous, since it fades somewhat in old, crowded clumps.
Fungal leaf spot
Brown or purplish spots on the leaves, often ringed with a yellow halo, that spread and merge in warm, humid, or wet weather; heavily spotted leaves yellow and drop early.
Pick off spotted leaves and clear fallen debris to remove overwintering spores. Improve air circulation by thinning, and water at the base so foliage dries quickly. If it persists, apply a copper- or sulfur-based fungicide at the first sign.
Crown Rot
Lower leaves yellow and wilt; the base of the rosette turns brown and soft, sometimes with white fungal threads at the soil line. Plants collapse in wet conditions.
Remove and destroy affected plants. Improve drainage and avoid overhead watering. Do not mulch directly against the crown. Space plants for airflow and avoid replanting in the same wet spot.