Hosta is a shade garden favorite for its fabulous foliage and elegant and sometimes fragrant flowers.
Choose shady areas with low levels of sunlight.
Hostas love moisture, soplant them in loamy soilwith plenty offresh, organic matterthat helps the soil retain moisture.
Credit: David Nevala
Hostas grow inUSDA Zones39.
Hosta Care Tips
After you plant your hostas, maintenance is the easy part.
Light
While almost all hostas can handle full shade, somethrive in full sun.
Credit: Greg Ryan
Varieties with variegated leaves show the best color in at least partial sun.
However, these varieties may turn back to an all-green color in shade.
Blue leaf hostas prefer some shade and do better in cooler climates.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Ideal sunny-spot hostas include deep green varieties.
Be cautious about placing these plants in full sun if the leaves have white coloring.
Soil and Water
Hostas prefer rich,well-drained soilwith a constant moisture supply.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
They can stand up to drought, but not for long.
Temperature and Humidity
Hostas thrive in most regions but wont perform well in a subtropical climate.
They show their full potential in the cooler end of their hardiness range.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Hostas arent fussy about humidity.
To protect their showy foliage, plant them out of the path of strong winds.
Cut off all the yellow, damaged, or dead leaves.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Remove these leaves at their root or the point where they start to emerge from the main plant.
Be sure to throw away all unwanted scraps to decrease the likelihood of disease development.
In most cases,indirect light is sufficient.
Credit: David Nevala
Hostas are among the few houseplants that thrive in a north-facing window.
When potting a hosta,choose a container with a drainage hole.
The container should be 2 to 3 inches wider than the hosta.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Fill it with well-draining potting mix enriched with organic matter.
Depending on the variety, your hosta may not need repotting for several years.
Watch for roots emerging from the drainage holea sure sign it is time to repot.
Credit: Julie Maris Semarco
Deer and rabbits love to make a meal out of tender hosta plants.
Some slow-growing varieties may need more time before theyre ready for division.
You may be able to divide fast-growing varieties every two or three years.
Credit: Blaine Moats
Give them plenty of water if you divide in the summer heat.
Hostas can also be grown from seed.
With well over 3,000 different hostas, youll find at least a few varieties that appeal to you.
Credit: Blaine Moats
Youll want to consider how big the hosta plant grows before making your choice.
Mauve flowers bloom in early summer.
It grows 6 inches tall and 12 inches wide.
Credit: Kindra Clineff
Zones 3-9
Daybreak Hosta
HostaDaybreak bears deep gold leaves with a corrugated texture.
It haslavender flowersand grows 3 feet wide.
Zones 3-8
Deja Blu Hosta
HostaDeja Blu offers blue-green leaves that bear a golden-green edge.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
It grows 14 inches tall and 20 inches wide.
Zones 3-9
Formal Attire Hosta
HostaFormal Attire has large blue-green leaves edged in creamy white.
The foliage has a distinctive puckered texture.
Credit: David McDonald
It grows 30 inches tall and wide.
Zones 3-9
Francee Hosta
HostaFrancee develops wide mounds of large oval leaves rimmed with cream.
Funnel-shaped lavender flowers bloom in summer on 30-inch stems.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Zones 3-9
Golden Prayers Hosta
HostaGolden Prayers shows off cupped golden-yellow leaves.
Its a compact selection that grows 10 inches tall and 16 inches wide.
Zones 3-9
Great American Expectations Hosta
HostaGreat American Expectations features large chartreuse leaves edged in blue.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
It grows 26 inches tall and wide.
Zones 3-9
Great Expectations Hosta
HostaGreat Expectations has puckered chartreuse leaves irregularly edged in blue.
It grows 22 inches tall and 40 inches wide.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Zones 3-9
Heavenly Tiara Hosta
HostaHeavenly Tiara bears light green foliage edged in gold.
It grows 12 inches tall and 36 inches wide.
Zones 3-9
June Hosta
HostaJune is an award-winning selection that features golden-yellow leaves broadly edged in blue.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
It grows 15 inches tall and 20 inches wide.
It grows 36 inches tall and 60 inches wide.
Zones 3-9
Pandoras Box Hosta
HostaPandoras Box shows off creamy-white foliage edged in dark green.
Credit: Greg Scheidemann
This miniature variety grows only 2 inches tall and 5 inches wide.
Its a large variety that grows to 46 inches tall and 48 inches wide.
It grows 12 inches tall and 24 inches wide.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Zones 3-9
Patriot Hosta
HostaPatriot is an award-winning variety with dark green leaves boldly edged in white.
It grows 12 inches tall and 30 inches wide.
It grows 6 inches tall and 8 inches wide.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
The foliage has a unique quilted look.
It grows 14 inches tall and 24 inches wide.
Zones 3-9
Striptease Hosta
HostaStriptease features golden leaves with wide green edges.
Credit: Matthew Benson
A thin white sliver separates the green and yellow colors.
It grows 20 inches tall and 36 inches wide.
It has huge chartreuse leaves that can reach 24 inches long.
Credit: Matthew Benson
The plant grows 24 inches tall and 60 inches wide.
Zones 3-9
Sun Power Hosta
HostaSun Power is a sun-tolerant variety with yellow-green leaves.
It shows brightest color when it gets direct sun in the morning.
Credit: Allison Barnes
Sun Power grows 24 inches tall and 48 inches wide.
It grows 7 inches tall and 24 inches wide.
It grows 5 inches tall and 40 inches wide.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Zones 3-9
Wolverine Hosta
HostaWolverine bears long, narrow blue-green leaves edged crisply in gold.
It grows 15 inches tall and 40 inches wide.
Zones 3-9
Hosta Companion Plants
Astilbe
Astilbe bringsa graceful feathering noteto moist, shady landscapes.
Credit: Greg Ryan
In drier sites, the leaves scorch in full sun.
It spreads slowly over time, where well-situated.
Most commercially available types are complex hybrids.
Credit: Blaine Moats
Columbines resemble folded paper lanterns.
They thrive in sun or partial shade in moist, well-drained soil.
Plants are short-lived but self-seed readily, often creating natural hybrids with other nearby columbines.
Credit: Karlis Grants
If you want to prevent self-seeding, deadhead plants after bloom.
Holly Fern
For that shady spot, youcant go wrong with holly ferns.
Their evergreen fronds always look good and mix well with other shade lovers without taking over.
Credit: Mike Jensen
The average time it takes for hostas to reach full size is four to eight years.
When it does, propagate by dividing clumps.
To help hostas stay healthy and keep growing, remove any dead branches or leaves when you see them.
Credit: Andre Baranowski
Under ideal conditions, hostas have been known to live up to 30 years.
