Hostas Varieties & Care
Do you have a shady spot in your garden or container that seems to be lacking something? Here’s why Hostas, also known as Plantain Lilies, may be your solution…
- Offer dramatic foliage color
- Easy care
- Perfect for borders
- Excellent for erosion control
- Look amazing in mass plantings
- Play nicely in woodland gardens
- Look lovely as a specimen plant
Hosta Selection:
Please note that selection may vary by location and time of year
Big Daddy Hosta
The Big Daddy Hosta is a commanding presence in any shade garden with its expansive, deeply-textured glaucous blue leaves that are rounded and notably cupped. During the summer months, striking scapes adorned with white, bell-shaped flowers tower above the leafy base. This hosta serves as an impressive backdrop in shaded areas, flourishing under the shelter of tree canopies and gracefully concealing the bare lower branches of mature shrubs. Its robust leaves are notably resistant to slugs, adding to its appeal as a hardy herbaceous perennial.
Blue Angel Hosta
The Blue Angel Hosta stands out as one of the grandest among blue hostas, with its impressive, pointed silver-blue leaves that create a full, flowing mound. In the summer, this majestic plant is embellished with tall stems of white, bell-shaped flowers, making it a captivating sight in any dappled shade garden.
Dancing Queen Hosta
The Dancing Queen Hosta is a vibrant herbaceous perennial that lights up the shade garden with its luminous yellow leaves that persist throughout the season. As the summer wanes, the foliage gently transitions in tone, setting the stage for the emergence of delicate pale-lavender blooms. The leaves' gracefully undulating margins offer additional visual appeal, making this hosta a delightful choice to enliven darker garden areas.
Earth Angel Hosta
The Earth Angel Hosta is an exquisite choice for bringing life to shaded garden spots that often remain bare. It showcases magnificent, heart-shaped leaves with a blue-green hue, accented by a lively chartreuse border that matures into a delicate creamy white. Come midsummer, this splendid foliage becomes the backdrop for stalks of soft lavender flowers, enhancing the plant's majestic profile.
Fragrant Bouquet Hosta
The Fragrant Bouquet Hosta is a verdant gem, boasting apple green leaves framed by generous pale yellow to cream margins. Its standout feature is the clusters of intensely fragrant white blossoms that emerge on lofty scapes in the heart of summer. This hosta variety brings a delightful textural element to shaded garden spots, borders, or beneath the canopy of trees.
Francee Hosta
The Francee Hosta is a botanical marvel, presenting clumps of luxuriant foliage characterized by heart-shaped, dark green leaves with striking white edges, making it a prominent feature in any garden. Perfectly suited for the challenging shady spots in woodland gardens and borders, its beautifully variegated leaves create an eye-catching mound of greenery. Additionally, this hosta variety is excellently suited for container gardening, bringing a touch of the forest's understory to your patio or terrace.
Guacamole Hosta
The Guacamole Hosta is a striking variety that flaunts foliage in a mottled palette of soft avocado green and yellow, with hints of deeper blue-green. It bears substantial stalks crowned with white lavender blossoms that exude a gentle, sweet scent. In regions with intense summer heat, it thrives best in full shade. This hosta is an excellent choice for adding a vibrant contrast of color and texture to shaded garden spaces.
Hadspen Blue Hosta
The Hadspen Blue Hosta offers a touch of sophistication with its steel blue-gray foliage that bears a delicate powdery essence, forming a graceful mound. In the summer, its striking foliage becomes a backdrop for stalks of showy pale lavender flowers. It stands out in shaded garden beds and borders, offering a stunning contrast, especially when paired with hostas of brighter hues and varied patterns. Additionally, its foliage is notably resilient to slug damage, maintaining its pristine appearance.
June Spirit Hosta
The June Spirit Hosta is a captivating garden perennial that enlivens the landscape with its vibrant heart-shaped leaves, each uniquely patterned with a blend of soft green centers and blue-green margins. This medium-sized hosta creates a dense mound of foliage that becomes a serene focal point in any shade garden. As the season progresses, the June Spirit Hosta further delights the senses with tall scapes of lavender flowers that rise elegantly above its lush foliage, attracting pollinators and garden admirers alike. With its resilient nature and low maintenance requirements, it's a must-have for those looking to infuse their garden with continuous and effortless beauty throughout the summer months.
Olive Bailey Langdon Hosta
The Olive Bailey Langdon Hosta is a robust and cheerful variety, presenting dark green leaves that are elegantly outlined with broad light green edges. Its leaves curl slightly, creating a gentle cupped effect, and feature wavy borders and a deeply grooved texture that adds depth and character. This hosta is a splendid choice for adding a touch of charm to spacious, shaded woodland gardens.
Patriot Hosta
The Patriot Hosta is a distinguished compact cultivar known for its resilience to heat, surpassing many other favored types. A variant of 'Francee', it showcases lustrous, rich dark green leaves with vivid white margins. It excels at illuminating areas with full or dappled shade, enhancing the vibrancy of any border.
Rainbows End Hosta
The Rainbow's End Hosta is a spectacular display of color and texture, boasting bright, variegated leaves that command attention in the garden. Its foliage showcases a striking contrast with vibrant yellow centers and deep green margins, and as the season advances, the leaves develop a more pronounced, fiery gold tone. This small but vigorous hosta variety makes an excellent choice for adding a splash of light to shady spots. In late summer, it is adorned with purple, funnel-shaped flowers that add an extra layer of charm to this already stunning perennial, making it a true treasure at the end of the garden rainbow.
Regal Splendor Hosta
The Regal Splendor Hosta is an elegant herbaceous perennial that offers a magnificent twist on the 'Krossa Regal', featuring blue-green leaves highlighted by creamy gold edges. Its grand, vase-shaped silhouette stands upright, making a striking statement. Soft lavender, trumpet-shaped blossoms rise on tall, slender stalks, bringing a captivating display to summer gardens. This hosta is a radiant choice for shaded woodland settings and border plantings, where it adds a touch of regal beauty.
Stained Glass Hosta
The Stained Glass Hosta captivates with its luminous golden leaves, bordered by deep green margins and highlighted with striking veins, creating an effect reminiscent of artisanal stained glass. Complementing its dramatic foliage, this hosta produces large, fragrant pale lavender flowers. It is an excellent choice for adding a splash of bold color to foundation plantings and woodland beds, flourishing in both full and dappled shade.
Wide Brim Hosta
The Wide Brim Hosta is an herbaceous perennial that forms a substantial mound with its broad blue-green leaves accented by creamy margins. In the summer, slender spikes adorned with lavender flowers emerge, adding a delicate flourish. It serves as a colorful highlight within shady mixed borders and woodland gardens, bringing lushness and vitality to the understorey.
Source: Monrovia.com
Hosta Planting and Care
Planting hostas is quite simple, and here's how you can do it:
- Choose the Right Location: Hostas thrive in shade to partial shade. Morning sun is acceptable, but avoid the hot afternoon sun, especially in warmer climates.
- Soil Preparation: Hostas prefer well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Amend your soil with compost or well-rotted manure to provide nutrients and improve soil structure.
- Planting Time: Spring or early fall is the best time to plant hostas, as the cooler temperatures allow the roots to establish without the stress of summer heat.
- Digging the Hole: Make a hole that's as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. This gives the roots room to spread out.
- Planting: Remove the hosta from its pot and loosen any encircling roots. Place the plant in the hole so that the crown (where the roots meet the stems) is at soil level. Backfill the hole with soil and gently tamp down to remove air pockets.
- Watering: After planting, water the hosta thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during the first growing season.
- Mulching: Apply a layer of mulch around the plant to retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and reduce weed competition.
- Spacing: Give each hosta enough space to reach its full size. Smaller varieties can be planted about 1 foot apart, while larger types may need up to 3 feet or more.
Remember, hostas can take a few years to reach their full size, but with proper care, they can be a long-lasting addition to your garden.
Protect Them...
Don't let those pesty little plant eaters wreak havoc on your healthy plants.
Monterey Sluggo - 5 lb. Jug
This is a great alternative to traditional slug and snail bait. This product contains iron phosphate and is safe for use around pets and wildlife. Sluggo controls snails and slugs in vegetable gardens and breaks down into an organic fertilizer. It will continue to be effective for up to 4 weeks.
Bonide Neem Oil - 32 oz. Spray
An all-purpose insecticide for Organic Gardening, miticide, and fungicide for organic gardening that is derived from the Neem seed. Safe to use on roses, flowers, vegetables, herbs, spices, houseplants, trees, turf and shrubs. Kills all stages of insects including eggs, larvae, and adults. Kills aphids, spider mites and more.
