The Hosta (also known as Plantain Lily) is one of the most unique, useful, and colorful shade plants used in the landscape today. This deciduous perennial can add a splash of foliar color and bloom where many other plants cannot survive or perform well. Not only do hostas have attractive foliage, but they also send out long upright plumes of flowers in shades of lavender, pink and white every summer.
Native to northeast Asia, hostas have come a long way in foliage varieties in the last 20 years, thanks to a rabid interest among hybridizers to create and introduce new varieties. Today, hostas can be found in a multitude of color variations to please even the most discriminating gardener’s palette.
Most hostas are broken down into three distinct color categories that include shades of blue, green and variegated. Some varieties have puckered leaf surfaces that lend interest to the overall plant, while the variegated forms can be striped with shades of white and gold. There are also varieties that feature a mixture of both blue and green leaf shades on the same leaf.
Hostas range in size from miniature varieties that grow 1 ft. high and wide to large varieties that can grow almost 3 ft. tall and 5 ft. wide. The flowers generally stand above the foliage another 12-18 inches and last 4-8 weeks, depending on the variety.
Although there are a few varieties that can tolerate full sun, most hostas are happiest in a morning sun-afternoon shade or full shade location. They do best in moist, rich, well-draining soil. They only require to be fed once in spring and summer to keep them healthy.
You can also grow hostas indoors, but because they do have an extensive root system, use a larger pot than you would normally use (a 12″ pot for a medium-size hosta should do). Make sure to use a good, well-draining potting soil and give them at least a few hours of good sunlight though a window each day. They don’t need a lot of sun, since they are normally grown in partial shade, but they do need some.
When hostas go dormant in winter, they completely disappear. The foliage will take on a melting appearance after the first couple of frosts; at that time simply tear the foliage off above the soil. Your hosta will go to sleep and then re-appear the following year when the last frosts of spring are done.