BHG.com / Gardening / Plant Encyclopedia / Perennial / Hosta
  • Share
  •

Hosta

Hosta selections
Hosta

This plant hardly grown 40 years ago is now one of the most commonly grown garden plants. But hosta has earned its spot in the hearts of gardeners -- it's among the easiest plants to grow, as long as you have some shade and ample rainfall.

Hostas vary from tiny plants suitable for troughs or rock gardens to massive 4-foot clumps with heart-shape leaves almost 2 feet long that can be puckered, wavy-edged, white or green variegated, blue-gray, chartreuse, emerald-edged -- the variations are virtually endless. Hostas in new sizes and touting new foliage features seem to appear each year. This tough, shade-loving perennial, also known as plaintain lily, blooms with white or purplish lavender funnel-shape or flared flowers in summer. Some are intensely fragrant. Hostas are a favorite of slug and deer.

Light:
Sun,Part Sun,Shade
Zones:
3-9
Plant Type:
Perennial
Plant Height:
To 5 feet tall
Plant Width:
To 4 feet wide
Landscape Uses:
Containers,Beds & Borders,Privacy,Slopes,Groundcover
Special Features:
Flowers,Attractive Foliage,Fragrant,Cut Flowers,Drought Tolerant,Tolerates Wet Soil,Easy to Grow
Top Varieties
Hosta montana 'Aureomarginata' develops wide clumps of glossy, tapering leaves with wavy, irregular yellow edges. Mauve flowers bloom in early summer. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Aztec Treasure' has 1-foot mounds of heart-shape chartreuse leaves and bell-shape purple flowers in summer. Zones 3-8
view >
Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' is a charming dwarf selection with rounded blue leaves. It grows 5 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Chartreuse Wiggles' bears thin golden-green leaves with wavy edges. It grows 6 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Daybreak' bears deep gold leaves with a corrugated texture. It has lavender flowers and grows 3 feet wide. Zones 3-8
view >
Hosta 'Deja Blu' offers blue-green leaves that bear a golden-green edge. It grows 14 inches tall and 20 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Formal Attire' has large blue-green leaves edged in creamy white. The foliage has a distinctive puckered texture. It grows 30 inches tall and wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta plantaginea bears rich-green leaves and 5-foot-tall stems of fragrant white flowers. It grows 26 inches tall and 4 feet wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Francee' develops wide mounds of large oval leaves rimmed with cream. Funnel-shape lavender flowers bloom in summer on 30-inch stems. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Frances Williams' is one of the most decorative hostas. Its bold cupped and puckered, heart-shape blue-green leaves have irregular yellowish-green edges. Dirty-white bells rise on 2-foot scapes in summer. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Golden Prayers' shows off cupped golden-yellow leaves. It's a compact selection that grows 10 inches tall and 16 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Great American Expectations' features large chartreuse leaves edged in blue. It grows 26 inches tall and wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Great Expectations' has puckered chartreuse leaves irregularly edged in blue. It grows 22 inches tall and 40 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Heavenly Tiara' bears light green foliage edged in gold. It grows 12 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'June' is an award-winning selection that features golden-yellow leaves broadly edged in blue. It grows 15 inches tall and 20 inches wide. It's somewhat sun-tolerant. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Krossa Regal' is an elegant selection that offers blue-green foliage and a unique vase-shape habit. It grows 36 inches tall and 60 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Pandora's Box' shows off creamy-white foliage edged in dark green. This miniature variety grows only 2 inches tall and 5 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Paradigm' is an award-winning selection with thick, golden leaves narrowly edged in blue-green. It's a large variety that grows to 46 inches tall and 48 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Pathfinder' is a compact variety with thick, slug-resistant, creamy-white foliage edged in dark green. It grows 12 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Patriot' is an award-winning variety with dark green leaves boldly edged in white. It grows 12 inches tall and 30 inches wide. Zones 3-8
view >
Hosta 'Sagae' is a popular variety with blue-green leaves edged in creamy yellow. It grows 28 inches tall and 3 feet wide. Zones 3-8
view >
Hosta 'Silver Threads and Golden Needles' is a miniature variety bearing green leaves edged and streaked in gold and silver. It grows 6 inches tall and 8 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Stitch in Time' is a compact selection with green leaves edged in cream. The foliage has a unique quilted look. It grows 14 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Striptease' features golden leaves with wide green edges. A thin white sliver separates the green and yellow colors. It grows 20 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Sum and Substance' is one of the largest and most popular hostas around. It has huge chartreuse leaves that can reach 24 inches long. The plant grows 24 inches tall and 60 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Sun Power' is a sun-tolerant variety with yellow-green leaves. It shows brightest color when it gets direct sun in the morning. 'Sun Power' grows 24 inches tall and 48 inches wide.
view >
Hosta 'Tokudama Flavocircinalis' has textured, heart-shape leaves with irregular yellow margins. The summer flowers are pale lavender on 18-inch stems. It makes a fine groundcover. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Touch of Class' is a stunning selection bearing chartreuse leaves widely edged in blue. It grows 7 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Whirlwind' bears upright leaves that start out creamy white edged in green but become all green as the summer passes. It grows 5 inches tall and 40 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Hosta 'Wolverine' bears long, narrow blue-green leaves edged crisply in gold. It grows 15 inches tall and 40 inches wide. Zones 3-9
view >
Garden Plans
Foundation Garden
Shade Garden
Spring Shade Border
Side Garden
Hosta-Filled Shade Garden
Shared Garden
Garden Plan for Partial Shade
Design for a Moon Garden
Evening Garden
Beginner Garden for Shade
Shady Foliage Garden Plan
Four Gorgeous Bulb and Perennial Gardens
Shared Property Line Bed
Shady Side Yard Garden Plan
Summer-Blooming Front Yard Cottage Garden Plan
Garden Plan with Daylilies
Pondside Garden Plan
Soft-Color Shade Garden Plan
Waterside Retreat Garden Plan
Cold-Climate Shade Garden Plan
Bold Woodland Garden Plan
English-Style Front Yard Garden Plan
Pink Springtime Garden Plan
No-Fail Container Garden Plan
Fresh and Formal Garden Plan
Cool-Color Garden Plan
No-Fuss Shade Garden Plan
Plant It With
Astilbe

Astilbe and hosta is the classic partnership in shaded places. The fine astilbe foliage and colorful flower plumes enhance a hosta bed all summer long.

Columbine

The dancing, colorful flowers of columbine bloom when hostas are beginning to unfurl their young leaves, thus extending the season of interest in sun or part shade.

Holly fern

The upright fronds of Christmas fern contrast well against the solid foliage of hosta in shade.

Propagation
Seed
Division

not what you're looking for? try a new search

search by plant name
BHG Products at Walmart
BHG Real Estate