Hosta (Hosta)

Hosta Plant Features

Hostas are addictive! That's what you'll discover after you plant a few in your garden. These super-easy perennials are so collectible because they come in a seemingly unlimited selection of colors, heights, and textures. From 4-inch dwarfs to 6-foot-wide giants, there's a hosta variety to fit any situation from large borders to tiny rock gardens. They look terrific in containers, too! This amazing plant also comes in different shades of green, blue, chartreuse, and bi-color. Even the plants' leaf shape and texture vary depending on variety. And let's not forget the hosta flowers. Every hosta variety develops lovely spikes of often fragrant pink, lavender, or white flowers during the summer. Hummingbirds love the flowers as much as people do. You can also use hosta leaves and flowers in fresh cut arrangements. Hardy from zones 3-9.

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Hostas grow best in shady or partially shady locations. They prefer a rich, slightly moist soil so keep them mulched for consistent soil moisture. Hosta is relatively drought tolerant, but it's still a good idea not to let them dry out too much. Dig and divide the plants every three to five years in the early spring just as the plants are putting out new growth. Slugs, snails, deer, and rabbits like hosta almost as people do so use appropriate measures to keep these unwelcome guests at bay.

Even though deer like to eat hosta, the plants are not recommended for human consumption.

Water

Medium water needs
Light

Outside: Part sun

Outside: Shade
Colors

Blue

Green

Variegated

Yellow
Special Features

Attracts butterflies

Attracts hummingbirds

Colorful foliage

Fragrant flowers/foliage

Groundcover

Super-easy to grow

Complement your Plant

Heuchera

Finding the right partner for Hosta just got easier. Interplant the bold leaves of Heuchera alongside them.

Bleeding Heart

Add an extra dose of spring color to your shade garden by planting Bleeding Heart and Hosta side by side.

Hellebore

The early flowers of Hellebore appear just as the Hosta leaves break dormancy, creating a lovely pairing of color and texture.

Our favorite varieties

American Halo

American Halo' Hosta

A beautiful, mounding hosta, 'American Halo', features corrugated blue-green leaves edged with creamy margins. White flowers appear in early summer. Plants are 28 inches tall and 72 inches wide. Zones 3-9

August Moon

Hosta 'August Moon'

Brighten your shade garden with ‘August Moon’ hosta. This easy-care variety has heart-shaped, searsuckered chartreuse foliage with pale lavender flowers in midsummer. ‘August Moon’ grows 18 inches tall and makes a great groundcover. Zones 3-9

Blue Angel

Hosta 'Blue Angel'

‘Blue Angel’ hosta has huge, heart-shaped, blue foliage that forms a solid mass of color in your garden. Relatively slug resistant, this bold hosta grows 3 feet tall and has tall spikes of white flowers in the summer. Zones 3-8

Christmas Tree

Hosta 'Christmas Tree'

Pointed, slightly puckered bright green leaves with thin white margins make ‘Christmas Tree’ hosta a gorgeous addition to your shade or container garden. The compact plants grow 18 to 20 inches tall and have lilac flowers in the midsummer. Zones 3-10

Elegans

Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans'

The classic, seersuckered, blue-green leaves of ‘Elegans’ hosta add much-needed texture and color to the shade border. Growing 2 feet tall, ‘Elegans’ works as well in containers as it does in the garden. Zones 3-8

Dream Queen

Hosta 'Dream Queen'

Each leaf of ‘Dream Queen’ hosta is a work of art with blue and cream swirls over a lightly puckered background. Generally slug resistant, this spectacular variety grows about 2 feet tall. White flower spikes appear in midsummer. Zones 3-8

Francee

Hosta 'Francee'

Hostas make excellent groundcovers in shady spots and ‘Francee’ is one of the best. Growing 14 inches tall, this quick-growing, low-maintenance plant shows off dark green, heart-shaped leaves with pure white edges. Zones 3-9

Guacamole

Hosta 'Guacamole'

Large, apple-green leaves with dark green margins make ‘Guacamole’ hosta a top performer in the garden. Growing 2 feet tall, the leaves of 'Guacamole’ actually become brighter if you give the plant a bit more sun. Lavender flowers appear in midsummer. Zones 3-9

Halcyon

Hosta 'Halcyon'

The pointed, blue-green foliage of ‘Halcyon’ hosta makes a stunning companion for spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips. The plants grow 18 inches tall and produce bluish flowers on tall stalks in the summer. Zones 3-8

Krossa Regal

Hosta 'Krossa Regal'

Tall, vase-shaped, blue green foliage make ‘Krossa Regal’ hosta a great addition to shady or partially shade locations. The thick, wavy leaves are also believed to be more slug-resistant than other hostas. The plants can grow 3 feet tall. Zones 3-8

Minuteman

Hosta 'Minuteman'

You can’t beat ‘Minuteman’ hosta when it’s planted along a shady path or walkway. This compact variety grows 18 inches tall and shows off bright green leaves with wide white margins. The striped lavender flowers appear in early summer. Zones 3-9

Patriot

Hosta 'Patriot'

‘Patriot’ hosta thrives in the dark corners of your garden and produces spectacular dark green leaves with crisp white edges. The plant forms spectacular, 2-foot-tall mounds and, in midsummer, shoots up tall spikes of lavender flowers. Zones 3-9

Regal Splendor

Hosta 'Regal Splendor'

With upright, vase-shaped foliage, ‘Regal Splendor’ hosta adds a touch of class to your shade border. Its long, blue-green leaves delicately edged in ivory will eventually form a 3-foot-tall mound of color. In the mid- to late summer, the plant sends up towering stalks of lavender blooms. Zones 3-8

Revolution

Hosta 'Revolution'

Like snowflakes, no two leaves of ‘Revolution’ hosta are the same. This amazing variety shows off dark green leaves with spots, speckles and bands of cream. For extra color, the plants develop lavender flowers in midsummer. It grows 24 inches tall and wide. Zones 3-9

Tokudama Flavocircinalis

Hosta 'Tokudama Flavocircinalis'

Growing 12 inches tall, ‘Tokudama Flavocircinalis’ hosta makes an excellent groundcover. It has pretty blue-green foliage that’s edged in gold. Stalks of lavender flowers appear in summer. Zones 3-8

Spring Morning

Hosta 'Spring Morning'

Spring Morning' is a beautiful newer hosta that shows off golden-green foliage edged in white. It grows 18 inches tall and wide. Zones 3-9

Twilight

Hosta 'Twilight'

As handsome as it is vigorous, ‘Twilight’ hosta grows 2 feet tall and develops masses of large bright green leaves with broad, yellow edges. Lavender flowers complement the plant in midsummer. Zones 3-9

Wide Brim

Hosta 'Wide Brim'

Broad green leaves with irregular creamy-yellow margins give ‘Wide Brim’ hosta its name. This classic variety grows 18 inches tall and produces spikes of lavender flowers in late summer. Zones 3-9

Invincible

Hosta 'Invincible'

Invincible shows off thick, shiny, dark green leaves that look fantastic by themselves or paired with other shade plants. In summer, it offers fragrant lavender-pink flowers. It grows 16 inches tall and 48 inches wide. Zones 3-9

Night Before Christmas

Hosta 'Night Before Christmas'

Night Before Christmas is a lovely variety that shows off thick, dark green leaves with bold white stripes down the center. In late summer it shows off spikes of soft lavender flowers. Night Before Christmas grows 18 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 3-9

Sum and Substance

Hosta 'Sum and Substance'

One of the largest hosta varieties around, Sum and Substance shows off leaves that can grow 2 feet long. The plant can clump more than 6 feet across! It offers golden-yellow foliage and fragrant white flowers. It reaches 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Zones 3-9

Sugar and Spice

Hosta 'Sugar and Spice'

Related to 'Invincible', 'Sugar and Spice' is a fun shade perennial with shiny green leaves edged in creamy white and fragrant lavender-purple flowers in midsummer. It grows 24 inches tall and 48 inches wide. Zones 3-8

So Sweet

Hosta 'So Sweet'

So Sweet is an easy perennial that shows off green leaves edged in white. In midsummer, 'So Sweet' sends up spikes of lightly fragrant white flowers. It grows 14 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Zones 3-9

Rainforest Sunrise

Hosta 'Rainforest Sunrise'

Rainforest Sunrise is a shade-loving plant that has puckered, textural golden-yellow leaves edged in dark green. This small hosta, which grows 10 inches tall and 16 inches wide, blooms with light lavender flowers in midsummer. Zones 3-8

Fire and Ice

Hosta 'Fire and Ice'

Fire and Ice' is a stunner related to 'Patriot', but has white leaves edged in green. The foliage has a bit of a curl, adding texture to the shade garden. It grows 16 inches tall and 30 inches wide. Zones 3-9

Bressingham Blue

Hosta 'Bressingham Blue'

Bressingham Blue' is a huge flowering shade plant that grows 48 inches wide and 36 inches tall. It has lovely dusty-blue leaves and lavender-white flowers in midsummer. Zones 3-8

Blazing Saddles

Hosta 'Blazing Saddles'

Blazing Saddles' is a bold shade perennial that has green leaves edged in creamy white. It grows 24 inches tall and 46 inches wide and makes a big impact in the garden, especially when paired with green-leafed perennials such as liguaria or ajuga. Zones 3-9

Ann Kulpa

Hosta 'Ann Kulpa'

Ann Kulpa' is a bigger variety that has green leaves streaked with golden yellow in the center, along with midsummer spikes of lavender flowers. It grows 28 inches tall and 26 inches wide. Zones 3-9

Lucky Mouse Ears

Hosta 'Lucky Mouse Ears'

Lucky Mouse Ears is a dwarf hosta that bears small, blue-green leaves edged in golden-yellow. It grows 8 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Zones 3-9

First Frost

Hosta 'First Frost'

First Frost is a stunning medium-sized hosta that shows off blue-green leaves edged in gold. It grows 24 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 3-9

June

Hosta 'June'

June is an award-winning hosta that sports golden-green leaves edged in blue green. It grows 20 inches tall and wide. Zones 3-9

Northern Exposure

Hosta 'Northern Exposure'

Northern Exposure hosta is a big, bold variety that grows nearly 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It shows off large, blue-green leaves decorated with yellowish edges. Its pure-white flowers are good for cutting for bouquets. Zones 3-9

Inniswood

Hosta 'Inniswood'

Inniswood hosta is an outstanding variety that has golden-yellow leaves edged in green. Its thick foliage is more slug resistant than most. Inniswood hosta grows 30 inches tall and 50 inches wide. Zones 3-9

City Lights

Hosta 'City Lights'

Once established, City Lights hosta shows off huge leaves that start out chartreuse and fade to golden-green over the summer. They have a thick texture, making them more resistant to slugs than many other varieties. It grows 30 inches tall and 48 inches wide. Zones 3-8

Lakeside Cupcake

Hosta 'Lakeside Cupcake'

Lakeside Cupcake is a charming dwarf hosta that shows off blue-green leaves variegated with a golden-green center. It has purple flowers in midsummer and grows 12 inches tall and wide, making it useful in container gardens. Zones 3-9

Sleeping Beauty

Hosta 'Sleeping Beauty'

Sleeping Beauty hosta emerges in spring with lovely silvery-blue leaves variegated with white edges. As the summer progresses, the leaves fade to a rich blue-green color. It offers purple flowers in midsummer and grows 20 inches tall and wide. Zones 3-9

Stained Glass

Hosta 'Stained Glass'

Big, Bold, and Beautiful, Stained Glass hosta features large chartreuse leaves edged in dark green. In late summer, it bursts into bloom produce fragrant purple flowers. Stained Glass hosta grows 30 inches tall and 48 inches wide. Zones 3-9

Summer Breeze

Hosta 'Summer Breeze'

Summer Breeze hosta is a reliable cultivar that offers big dark green leaves widely edged in golden green. In late summer, it offers spikes of purple blooms. This variety grows 30 inches tall and 50 inches wide. Zones 3-9

Winter Snow

Hosta 'Winter Snow'

One of the larger hosta varieties around, Winter Snow sports light green leaves edged in white. It has spikes of large lavender-purple flowers in midsummer that attract hummingbirds. Winter Snow hosta grows 48 inches tall and 60 inches wide. Zones 3-9