Hosta
Hosta selections
Funny how a plant hardly grown 40 years ago can now become one of the most commonly grown garden plants. But hosta has earned its spot in the hearts of gardeners -- it's among the easiest of 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 four foot clumps with heart-shaped leaves each almost two feet long, puckered, wavy-edged, white or green variegated, blue gray, chartreuse, emerald edged -- the variations do not stop. Seemingly endless foliage variations and sizes of hostas seem to appear each year. This tough shade-loving perennial blooms with white or purplish lavender funnel-shaped or flared flowers in summer. Some are intensely fragrant. Hostas are a favorite of slug and of deer.
- Light:
- Sun, Part Sun, Shade
- Zones:
- 3-9
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Plant Height:
- To 5 feet tall, depending on variety
- Plant Width:
- To 4 feet wide, depending on variety
- 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
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Hosta montana 'Aureomarginata') develops wide clumps of glossy tapering leaves with wavy, irregular yellow edges. Mauve flowers bloom in early summer. Zones 3-9.
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Hosta 'Aztec Treasure') has 1-foot mounds of bright chartreuse heart-shaped leaves and bell-shaped purple flowers in summer. Zones 3-8.
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Hosta 'Daybreak') bears deep gold leaves with a corrugated texture. It has lavender flowers and grows 3 feet wide. Zones 3-8.
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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.
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Hosta 'Francee') develops wide mounds of large oval leaves rimmed with cream. Lavender funnel-shaped flowers bloom in summer on 30-inch stems. Zones 3-9.
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Hosta 'Frances Williams') is one of the most decorative of all hostas. Its bold cupped and puckered heart-shaped blue green leaves are irregularly edged with yellowish green. Dirty white bells rise on 2-foot scapes in summer. Zones 3-9.
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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.
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Hosta 'Tokudama Flavocircinalis') has textured heart-shaped leaves with irregular yellow margins. The summer flowers are pale lavender on 18-inch stems. It makes a fine groundcover. Zones 3-9.
view > Plant It With
Astilbe Astilbe and hostas are the classic partnership in shaded places. The fine astilbe foliage and colorful flower plumes enhance a plantain lily bed all summer long.
Columbine The dancing colorful flowers of columbine bloom when plantain lilies 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 plantain lily in shade.