Durable, Colorful Foliage
Go ahead, run your hands over the leaves—you wouldn't be the first. There is something about hosta foliage that begs to be touched. Large and luxuriant, generally with a velvety matte finish, the leaves look like something born in a primeval forest. While many perennials have tender, delicate look-but-don't-touch flowers, hosta color comes on robust leaves that stand up to the attention. And for gardeners who struggle with a shady area of the yard, these colorful, durable plants seem heaven-sent, transforming a potentially drab space into a lush, soothing oasis.
Native to China, Korea, and Japan, where they grow alongside streams and in woodland areas, hostas really became of interest to American gardeners in the 1980s, when breeders found success in changing the variegation, something that previously occurred only through natural plant mutations. The variegation appears as a band, or margin, of contrasting color around the leaf's edge. It usually combines any of the two core colors—green, blue, or gold, which includes the chartreuse and yellow-tinged varieties—or a core color with white, though some newer varieties have three colors.
Sun Tolerance and Color
Hosta foliage is long-lasting, peeking up through the soil in late spring and remaining until fall, though hot climates will sap color before late September. In early or midsummer, tall spikes extend from the center of the plant and fill with white or lavender trumpet-shaped flowers that last through August. Some gardeners choose to prune them off, redirecting energy and focus back to the showier foliage.
Pay a little attention to where you plant hostas and you'll be rewarded with bright color and good growth. Most do best with 3 to 6 hours of morning sun. The brighter chartreuse and gold cultivars tolerate more sun. Mostly white hostas usually don't fare well in shade because they lack the chlorophyll required to make food. Afternoon sun, especially in the South, will stress plants and fade leaves. Blue hostas are particularly susceptible to too much sun, which softens the naturally occurring protective wax that keeps them blue, reverting them back to their true green color.
Susceptible to Garden Pest Damage
While hosta leaves are tender, meaning they die back where winters are cold, the plants are not delicate and will survive down to minus 40 degrees F, growing in the coldest parts of Minnesota as well as in central Florida. They prefer moist, well-draining soil with a good amount of organic matter. It's hard to overwater hostas, but expect them to need about an inch of water each week during the hottest months. Generally easy to grow and disease resistant, they can be susceptible to damage from common garden pests, including deer, voles, rabbits, and slugs.
Today's breeders are tackling practical concerns, such as increased slug resistance (by developing varieties with thicker, more textured leaves) and smaller plant size, as well as cosmetic improvements, including better colorfastness, new leaf shapes, and surface sheen. A lot of effort is being put into developing miniature hostas because of the versatility that these smaller plants, most of which are less than 7 inches high, can provide. Planted under larger perennials in borders or mixed into a container, minis work where larger hostas overwhelm. Newer ones of note include 'Alakazaam,' with ruffled, tapered leaves with green centers, yellow margins, and tiny lavender flowers; and the larger 'Gemstone,' up to 10 inches high, with wavy, rippled blue leaves and lavender flowers on 22-inch-high stems.
Anchor Plants
Jumbo hostas easily anchor a planting bed, though they do require fertilizer to reach maximum size. At 6 feet wide by 4 feet tall, the dinner-plate-size foliage of 'Empress Wu' is striking for the ribbing on its dark green leaves, which can grow up to 16 inches across, and its pale purple flowers in early summer.
Newer Texture and Color Variations
While we're years away from seeing a new core hosta color, some newer varieties with red stalks offer a surprise under the foliage. 'Rocket's Red Glare' has dark red stems topped with wavy, glossy green leaves that sit under striped lavender flowers. New varieties with unique variegations distinguish themselves from the standard, two-color pattern. The aptly named 'Rare Breed' offers three colors: a white center surrounded by a green margin with a paler green color in between. 'Autumn Frost' has heart-shaped foliage that starts blue, with bright yellow margins that mellow to creamy white in summer. Large and showy 'Broad Band,' with heart-shaped foliage featuring yellow-to-white margins around a dark green center, is an example of the trend toward chunkier margins.
Glossy leaves offer a nice contrast in texture when paired with the more common matte varieties. The 3-foot-wide 'Irish Luck' has deeply veined dark green leaves with a lacquer-like finish below sweet-smelling lavender flowers.
Distinguished Varieties
In the past, it's been a struggle to find a blue hosta that kept its color through the summer, but the rounded, silvery-blue leaves on 'Silver Bay' stay true all season. Another new blue, 'Blue Mouse Ears,' has thick, rubbery blue-gray leaves that keep their color and are also slug resistant.
New foliage shapes, like the dark, heavy, almost dart-like green-and-white leaves on 'Sparkler,' help distinguish some new varieties from older ones with similar variegations. 'Surfer Girl' is a medium-green hosta that sets itself apart with wavy, ruffled edges. 'Tropical Dancer' has fluted, piecrust-shaped foliage with creamy-white margins and green centers.
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