Hostas are easy-care perennials for shade gardens featuring distinctively shaped foliage and a variety of colored blooms.
‘Frances Williams’ Hosta
This eye-catching hosta has huge blue-green foliage irregularly edged in chartreuse.
‘Frances Williams’ blooms early to midsummer with white funnel-shaped flowers.
Credit: Charles Mann
This hosta flowers with pale purple blooms in mid-July to early August.
‘Deja Blu’ features big, blue-green leaves that are edged in gold.
Take a second look and you’ll notice a narrow band of creamy-white that separates the two other colors.
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The leaf centers go yellow in summer, then creamy yellow or white by autumn.
Variegated hosta varieties need brighter light than other types of hostas to keep their white and gold stripes.
The leaves have an attractive corrugated texture that’s a great contrast to hostas with smoother leaf surfaces.
Credit: Matthew Benson
This hosta flowers in early summer with white blooms.
It is a strong grower with wonderfully thick foliage.
It grows 2 feet tall and combines well withwhite flowersin the shade garden.
Credit: David Nevala
This hosta flowers in late summer with violet blossoms.
Size:4015 inches
‘Paradigm’ Hosta
‘Paradigm’ has golden leaves with irregular blue-green edges.
If you’re looking for hostas for sun, this is the plant for you.
Credit: Kindra Clineff
Unlike many hosta varieties, its colors become richer through the summer.
When given just a little bright sun, its gold center will brighten right up.
A vigorous grower, ‘Paradigm’ grows up to 4 feet wide.
Credit: Denny Schrock
The creamy white foliage has blue-green edges.
It bears light purple, bell-shaped flowers in early summer.
Unlike other hostas, its pointy leaves stay upright in a wavy mound.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
This hosta flowers with trumpet-shaped, light purple blooms from mid- to late summer.
Size:4020 inches
‘Formal Attire’ Hosta
Large hostas forshade gardensadd considerable impact to the landscape.
Try the variety ‘Formal Attire’, which grows 30 inches wide.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
In early summer, this hosta flowers with pale purple blooms atop its large mound of foliage.
It flowers in midsummer with light purple blooms.
The small size makes it perfect for the front of the border or container gardening.
Credit: Blaine Moats
Size:3622 inches
Even sun-tolerant hostas can develop leaf scorch or sunburn.
It becomes even more spectacular when it produces light purple flowers.
Grow this one with hosta varieties that have wide leaves.
Credit: Denny Schrock
It is also small enough to beplanted in containers.
The leaf margins start as yellow and turn white as the season progresses.
Standout hostas forshade gardeningare ones where seasonal color is consistent and reliable.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Their roots store moisture and nutrients, making it easier for the new divisions to take off.
‘Tracy’s Emerald Cup’ is different, though.
The shiny, dark green leaves are intriguing because of their curved bowl shape.
Credit: Greg Ryan
Unfortunately, the plant is oftenattacked by slugs.
These features set it apart from other hosta varieties.
In summer, its leaves become more blue-green with a thin gold center.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Size:6036 inches
Hosta plantaginea
Hosta plantagineais a variety you might grow for its flowers.
It has green foliage and clusters of fragrant, pure white blooms in summer.
The broad white edges around the dark green leaves practically glow in the shade.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
‘Patriot’ is an exceptional selection that performs very well in the landscape.
Here are some tips for growing healthy, thriving hostas.
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Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
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