All About Hostas
Hostas are considered the queen of the shade garden plants. Native to China, Japan, and Korea, hostas came to America via Europe in the 1800s and have become a mainstay in the flower garden ever since.
The common name for hosta is Plantain Lily, for its large decorative leaves. Hosta is widely popular, not only for its beauty and ability to thrive in shade but also because it is easy to propagate.
Hosta Varieties
There are more than 3000 varieties of Hostas covering 45 species according to the American Hosta Society. They used to be propagated solely by division and seed collection, but now commercial tissue culture has made the availability of unusual hostas soar. All these varieties give any gardener a broad range of options and expanded places to grow hosta. To give you a little sense of the diversity of plant types, shapes and sizes, here are some of the more popular varieties of hosta available.
'Patriot' Hosta is a long-time favorite, noted for the dramatic color contrast it lends to the landscape. Deep green leaves are flanked by broad, white margins throughout the season ...
Learn MorePatriot Hosta Plantain Lily Patriot Hosta Patriot$8.65 Sale $6.49Per Bag of 1'Patriot' Hosta is a long-time favorite, noted for the dramatic color contrast it lends to the landscape. Deep green leaves are flanked by broad, white margins throughout the season and lavender flowers shoot up from tall scapes in late summer. Incredibly easy to care for, this is a tough, forgiving plant that really brightens the shade garden. (Hosta)A sturdy and compact hosta, 'Halcyon' has blue, heart-shaped leaves with heavy ribbing and towers of lavender flowers. A handsome choice for the shade garden, 'Halcyon' is an excepti...
Learn MoreHalcyon Hosta Plantain Lily Halcyon Hosta HalcyonAs low as $17.32 Sale $12.99Per Bag of 3A sturdy and compact hosta, 'Halcyon' has blue, heart-shaped leaves with heavy ribbing and towers of lavender flowers. A handsome choice for the shade garden, 'Halcyon' is an exceptional way to add texture and dimension to plant groupings. A first-rate perfomer in containers. (Hosta)The Lush Hosta Collection is your answer for bold color in shady nooks - an explosion of blue, green, and variegated foliage and gorgeous summer blooms. A perfect mixture of plant si...
Learn MoreLush Hosta Collection Lush Hosta Collection$60.99 Sale $45.74Per Collection of 10The Lush Hosta Collection is your answer for bold color in shady nooks - an explosion of blue, green, and variegated foliage and gorgeous summer blooms. A perfect mixture of plant sizes, foliage textures, and shapes, this collection provides instant impact with very little maintenance. Fragrant bell-shaped purple and white blooms attract hummingbirds from mid- to late summer.'Elegans' Hosta is famed for its huge, heart-shaped blue leaves with heavy ribbing. A gorgeous addition to the shade garden that provides plenty of texture and a solid backdrop of de...
Learn MoreElegans Hosta Plantain Lily Elegans Hosta sieboldiana Elegans$18.65 Sale $13.99Per Bag of 3'Elegans' Hosta is famed for its huge, heart-shaped blue leaves with heavy ribbing. A gorgeous addition to the shade garden that provides plenty of texture and a solid backdrop of deep color for brighter blooms to play off of, 'Elegans' sends up delicate white flowers in early spring. Prized for its ability to tolerate dry shade. (Hosta sieboldiana)
'Royal Standard' Hosta produces heavily-ribbed, light-green leaves that form an attractive mound. Fragrant white flowers shoot up tall and proud, attracting many pollinators. A perfe...
Learn MoreRoyal Standard Hosta Plantain Lily Royal Standard Hosta Royal Standard$15.99 Sale $11.99Per Bag of 3'Royal Standard' Hosta produces heavily-ribbed, light-green leaves that form an attractive mound. Fragrant white flowers shoot up tall and proud, attracting many pollinators. A perfect backdrop plant to fill in the shade garden. (Hosta)The Variegated Hosta Mix combines color-coordinated shades of green, yellow and white, making an attractive, tapestry-like groundcover for shady areas. Known for their tough, easygoi...
Learn MoreVariegated Hosta Mix Variegated Plantain Lily Mix Hosta Variegated Mix$23.99 Sale $17.99Per Bag of 3The Variegated Hosta Mix combines color-coordinated shades of green, yellow and white, making an attractive, tapestry-like groundcover for shady areas. Known for their tough, easygoing ways, hostas are an ideal choice for poor soils and weather-prone areas and will spread and multiply if you let them. One of the most low-maintenance perennials you can choose! (Hosta)‘Minuteman’ Hosta sports deep green leaves edged in pure white. Made for the shade, ‘Minuteman’s’ bold contrasting foliage makes it a standout - it almost twinkles in the d...
Learn MoreMinuteman Hosta Plantain Lily Minuteman Hosta Minuteman$7.99 Sale $5.99Per Bag of 1‘Minuteman’ Hosta sports deep green leaves edged in pure white. Made for the shade, ‘Minuteman’s’ bold contrasting foliage makes it a standout - it almost twinkles in the dappled light of a woodland garden or shady spot. Great in containers too. Pale lavender flowers appear in July, attracting hummingbirds. (Hosta)'Aureomarginata' Hosta has gorgeous, gold-trimmed foliage that's offset by elegant, lavender blooms in late summer. Excellent in containers and border plantings, 'Aureomarginata' ope...
Learn MoreAureomarginata Hosta Plantain Lily Aureomarginata Hosta fortunei AureomarginataAs low as $13.32 Sale $9.99Per Bag of 3'Aureomarginata' Hosta has gorgeous, gold-trimmed foliage that's offset by elegant, lavender blooms in late summer. Excellent in containers and border plantings, 'Aureomarginata' opens into a vase-like shape, allowing its wavy, heart-shaped leaves to arch downwards. Very showy, this hosta is perfect for any shady or partially shady spot in the garden. (Hosta fortunei)
Planting Tips
In the garden, hostas are a versatile plant. They are a low-maintenance solution to many shade garden problems. On the north side of houses, they will thrive as long as they get some dappled light. In heavy shade areas, such as under evergreens or large deciduous trees, hosta will grow slowly and not as fully.
Plant a mix of varieties to create a pallet of leaf colors, shapes and textures. Pay particular attention to the ultimate plant sizes and, of course, plant taller varieties towards the back and smaller varieties in front. Some gardeners like to stay with all one types of hosta, such as varieties with yellow and green leaves, to have a stronger visual impact.
Some hosta varieties look better together than others.
If you plant too many variegated varieties together with dissimilar colors, it can be distracting to the eye. Use golden and yellow colored varieties to brighten up a dark area. Since they grow well in part sun, they can be included in other flower gardens to provide bursts of bright hues. This will help keep a perennial garden attractive during times when other flowers are fading.
Companion Plants
When planting bright-colored varieties such as those with large splashes of yellow or golden on the leaves, partner with solid colored varieties that are all green or blue for a better look.
Hostas do play well with other shade-loving perennials, too. Mix and match hosta varieties with similar sized astilbe, Solomon's seal, ferns, bleeding hearts, lungwort, coral bells, and meadow rue. Consider planting Allium bulbs and Siberian iris in between plants. These will grow up and flower above the hosta foliage adding a nice visual surprise. Use tall perennials with dark foliage, such as bugbane, in the back of flower garden to add a nice color contrast.
Hostas also can be grown on shady slopes or be used to create an edge in front of a garden flower border. Varieties that tolerate more sun can be grown along pond edges, since hosta like the moist soil.
In small space gardens, plant diminutive varieties near a bench for sitting, in containers or along a garden path. Focus on varieties with stunning leaf colors such as blue, golden and variegated and those with heady fragrant flowers. Also, look for those varieties with narrow or curled leaves for a different approach. Enjoy the flowers in the garden, or cut the scapes when the bottom flowers start to open, to use as a cut flower indoors.
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About the Author: Charlie Nardozzi is a nationally recognized garden speaker, author, consultant, radio and TV show host. He delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun and accessible to everyone. Visit his website, GardeningwithCharlie.com for how-to gardening information, and for more about Charlie.
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