Hosta

( HOSS - tuh)

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly called Plantain Lily, Funkia, August Lily, or Gibōshi, this genus is filled with perennial species of plants that form clumps of foliage and are perfect understory plants. Summertime flowers form on spikes, and can be blue, lavender, or white. These plants range in size from a width of just a few inches to over 5 feet. Foliage color varies from lime green to blues, whites, yellows and greys, and is often variegated, edged or marked. All Hosta species are native to eastern Asia and will go dormant (lose all of their leaves) in wintertime. Use these foliage plants as foundation plantings, in shaded mixed beds and borders, in containers, or in woodland gardens. Take care when planting Hosta in the landscape, as they are mildly toxic to pets and livestock.

hosta Species and Varietals

The genus Hosta includes up to 45 species and is a member of the plant family Asparagaceae. The genus name The best growing zones for Hosta vary depending on the species, though typically they do well in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. For more information, see the species descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Hosta hypoleuca (White-Backed Hosta, Urajiro-Gibōshi)
This species is native to Japan, where it typically is seen growing on cliffs, in canyons, and other steep, rocky areas. It can do very well on green walls, and has variable foliage patterns and colors. It is the parent of many hybrid cultivars of Hosta. Individual plants reach up to 15-20 inches tall and 3-4 feet wide.

Hosta spp. Hybrids (Hybrid Hosta, Hybrid Plantain Lily)
There are over 3,000 cultivars of Hosta, all with differing foliage colors and variegation. Cultivars with gold or white variegated foliage are especially prized. Popularly grown varieties are listed and described below:

'Abiqua Drinking Gourd'
Large blue-green leaves develop a cup shape. White flowers. To 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

'Allegan Fog'
18 inches tall and 40 inches wide, with wavy twisted leaves with cream centers and green margins.

'August Moon'
To 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide, with bright golden yellow leaves.

'Aureomarginata'
Green leaves with yellow margins; to 2 feet tall and a bit wider.

'Blue Angel'
2.5 feet tall and 6 feet wide, with blue leaves and white flowers that bloom atop 4 foot tall stalks.

'Blue Ivory'
To 12-16 in. tall and 24-36 in. wide, with frosty blue-green leaves with wide cream-white margins.

'Blue Mouse Ears'
With cupped, blue-green foliage to 12 inches tall and 2 feet wide.

'Brother Stefan'
30 in. tall and 36-62 inches wide. Leaves are green with wide yellow markings. White flowers.

'Christmas Tree'
This variety has deep green leaves with cream white edges and lavender flowers. To 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide.

'Cracker Crumbs'
With chartreuse foliage edged in lime green. To 3-6 inches tall and 12 inches wide.

'Curly Fries'
To 6-10 inches tall and 16 inches wide. Foliage is narrow, wavy, and light green.

'Dancing Queen'
To 20 inches tall and 36 inches wide, with rippled chartreuse foliage.

'Devon Green'
To 18 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Leaves are glossy and olive green. Lavender flowers.

'El Niño'
To 2 feet tall and 40 inches wide. Leaves are blue-green with cream to white margins.

'Empress Wu'
To 5 feet tall and 9 feet wide. Leaves are large and deep green. Flowers are red-violet.

'Fire and Ice'
With slightly twisted green leaves with wide white centers. Violet flowers.

'Fire Island'
Yellow-green foliage and deep red stems on a 14 inch tall, 30 inch wide plant.

'First Frost'
Painted green-blue centers and cream-white margins on a 16 inch tall, 36 inch wide plant.

'Forbidden Fruit'
To 20 inches tall and 3 feet wide, with green foliage marked with yellow centers.

'Fragrant Bouquet'
To 20 inches tall and 3 feet wide, with sweet scented white to purple flowers.

'Francee' ('Fortunei')
To 15 inches tall and 3 feet wide, with dark green leaves margined in white. Flowers are lavender.

'Frances Williams'
To 2 feet tall and twice as wide with blue-green foliage edged with wide bands of chartreuse.

'Great Expectations'
Blue-green leaves with yellow central variegation. To 2 feet tall and 40 inches wide.

'Golden Tiara'
To 16 inches tall and 38 inches wide. Green foliage and lavender flowers.

'Guacamole'
Leaves are golden lime, edged in green and flowers are white and fragrant. This plant reaches 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

'Halcyon'
With deep frosty blue-green foliage on a plant that reaches 22 inches tall and 3 feet wide. Pale lilac flowers.

'June'
Reaches 14-16 inches tall and 2.5 feet wide, with heart-shaped leaves variegated with yellow. Flowers are lavender.

'Krossa Regal'
To 3-4 feet tall and 6 feet wide, with long-stemmed blue-green foliage.

'Liberty'
A sport of 'Sagae', to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide.

'Minuteman'
With deep green satiny leaves with bright white margins. To 18 inches tall and 30 inches wide.

'Mouse Ears'
To 6-8 inches tall and 12 inches wide with thick blue-green leaves that curl

'Orange Marmalade'
With green and orange-gold foliage that fades to green and cream-white. 12-20 in. tall and 40 in. wide.

'Pandora's Box'
Compact to 4-6 inches tall and 8 inches wide. Green leaves with painted white centers.

'Paradise Puppet'
To 2-6 inches tall and 20 inches wide with wavy dark green leaves.

'Patriot'
Reaches 15 inches tall and 3 feet wide, with dark green leaves with white margins. Flowers are lavender.

'Paul's Glory'
Reaches 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide, with green-gold leaves edged with green, and pale lavender flowers.

'Praying Hands'
To 18 inches tall and 16 inches wide with long, narrow, upright green leaves. Lavender flowers.

'Reversed Patriot'
To 22 inches tall and 3 feet wide, with dark green leaves that have white centers. Lavender flowers.

'Revolution'
To 20 inches tall and 40 inches wide, with creamy white and green marked leaves.

'Royal Standard'
3 feet tall and wide, with deep green leaves and white flowers.

'Sagae'
2 feet tall and 3 feet wide, with a vase-shaped habit. Leaves are blue-grey and bordered with creamy white bands. Flowers are lavender.

'Shining Tot'
Miniature Hosta to 8 inches tall and 10 inches wide. Green leaves are edged with gold. Lavender to purple flowers.

'So Sweet'
Dark green leaves with cream margins to 15 inches tall and 2 feet wide.

'Stained Glass'
To 15 inches tall and 4 feet wide, with veined, golden foliage with green markings towards the edges. Flowers are fragrant and lavender.

'Striptease'
To 20 inches tall and 48 inches wide. Faint light green leaf centers with white markings.

'Sum and Substance'
Reaches 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide, and has textured chartreuse leaves that fade to golden with age. Pale lavender blooms.

'Touch of Class'
To 16 inches tall and 3 feet wide, with blue-green leaves with a light gold central stripe. Slug resistant.

'Whirlwind'
To 20 inches tall and 4 feet wide, with green leaves that have central gold markings.

'White Feather'
To 6-9 inches tall. Leaves emerge bright white and age to develop green markings.

'Wide Brim'
With profuse lilac-pink blooms and green leaves with wide cream margins.

Hosta lancifolia (Narrow-Leaved Plantain Lily, Narrow-Leaved Hosta)
This species is native to the Russian far east and Jana, and can reach up to 20 inches tall. It is sometimes sold in nurseries. Flowers are mauve to lavender and white, and foliage is green and more narrow than that of other species. Narrow-Leaved Hosta is considered invasive in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

Hosta plantaginea (Fragrant Plantain Lily, August Lily)
This species reaches up to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide at maturity. Leaves are glossy, bright green, and broadly oval. Flowers are large, white and fragrant, blooming in late summertime. This species is native to China, and has been cultivated around the world for over a century.

Hosta sieboldiana (Siebold's Plantain Lily, Plantain Lily)
This 3-foot tall, 4-foot wide species produces blue-green, broadly heart-shaped leaves. Flowers are pale lilac in color and are held just above the foliage. Varieties include 'Elegans' (with a blue-grey bloom on the leaves), and 'Frances Williams' (to 20 inches tall and 3 feet wide, with white flowers and yellow leaf margins).

Caring for Hosta

Take care when planting Hosta in the landscape, as they are mildly toxic to pets and livestock. Plant Hostas in a space in the garden that receives partial shade; ideally, they should be receiving indirect light, filtered light, or sun for about 4 hours each day (preferably in the morning). Provide protection from the sun's rays during the warmest hours of the day; too much sun can cause leaves to sunburn. Ensure that soil is well-draining and moderately fertile before planting. If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with organic compost before installing. Hosta plants prefer a soil pH of between 6.5 and 7.0. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, these plants appreciate consistently moist soil. In cooler months when plants are dormant, watering can be lessened. After planting, mulch around the base of the plant with organic mulching material to help retain soil moisture and suppress weed growth. Keep mulch away from the plant stems, as this can encourage an environment for root rot issues to take hold.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. Prune off spent flower spikes as they fade, and remove any dead, damaged, or diseased foliage. Severely damaged plants can be completely cut back for rejuvenation; this will trigger a flush of new growth to emerge. Cut off pure green leaves on variegated cultivars so that the color reversion doesn't spread to the entire plant. Every three to five years, Hostas should be lifted and divided. This is best done in early spring or fall, and will encourage the healthiest possible plants to form. For more information on dividing these plants, see the Propagation section below. Hosta plants can survive for 25 to 30 years or more in the landscape before needing to be replaced, and will form clumps over time that can be divided, providing new plants for the landscape indefinitely.

Caring for Hosta in Containers
Hostas are wonderful in the ground and are also popular choices for containers. Dwarf or compact cultivars, such as 'Curly Fries' or 'Cracker Crumbs', can add foliage without taking up too much space. Choose a pot that is at least a few inches wider and deeper than the nursery pot or root ball. Ensure that the pot has adequate drainage holes on the bottom to allow for excess water to flow away. Fill with a well-draining potting mix amended with organic material and perlite, and top with a layer of mulch to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water regularly as the plant establishes itself in its new home. Once established, waterings can be lessened. Hosta plants grown in containers will need more frequent irrigation than those grown in the ground. As a general rule of thumb, water whenever the top few inches of soil feels dry to the touch. Prune to remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any time during the growing season. Every few years, check the bottom of the pot to ensure that the plant is not outgrowing its root space. If roots are growing through the drainage holes in the bottom of the container, it is a good indication that it needs to be potted up; choose a slightly larger container and repot.

Harvesting Hosta
Hosta plants are edible, and are known as Urui in Japan; their young shoots are harvested when they are just 2 to 5 inches tall before they unfurl. They are often compared to Asparagus or nutty-flavored Lettuce and can be sautéed with butter or blanched. They are also fermented as Kimchi. To harvest, use a sharp knife or shears to cut the shoot close to the ground. Pick shoots that are towards the inside of the plant, as they are less bitter than outer ones. Only take about a third of the plant at any one time to avoid damage, and only harvest from healthy plants. The shoots can be brought inside and soaked to dislodge any dirt or insects trapped in the tight folds. They can be kept in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or sealed container for between 1 and 2 weeks.

Disclaimer: Information contained on this website is strictly and categorically intended as a reference to be used in conjunction with experts in your area. Foraging and consumption of plant parts should never begin without the guidance and approval of a local plant specialist. The providers of this website accept no liability for the use or misuse of information contained in this website.

Propagation

Hostas are best propagated through division. To propagate your Hostas, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Hosta by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil, compost and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:

Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the rhizome(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
Start to tease apart the roots with your fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments.
Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water thoroughly.
Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home.

Problems and Pests

Certain species of Hosta are considered invasive in some regions; see the species descriptions above for more information. Check with local authorities before planting. Hostas can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape: