Hosta or Plantain Lily

(Liliaceae - Lily Family)

Form

• herbaceous perennial that is usually small- to medium-sized
• foliage ranges from 0.5' to 3' tall with an even wider width, while inflorescences may reach from 1' to 6' tall, depending upon cultivar
• radiating clump growth habit

Culture

• partial sun to full shade, as a general rule; specific cases are:
  • cultivars with solid green foliage thrive in partial sun to full shade (but filtered full shade, not deep full shade)
  • cultivars with solid blue foliage need partial sun to partial shade to prevent the blue color from fading to blue-green by mid-Summer
  • cultivars with solid gold, yellow, or chartreuse foliage may need partial shade, partial sun, or nearly full sun (depending upon cultivar, with supplemental moisture to prevent leaf scorch and leaf bleaching) to maintain these colors in unfaded form throughout the Summer
  • cultivars with gold, yellow, cream, or white variegation need partial sun to partial shade to maintain the brightness of these colors throughout the Summer
• prefers moist, rich, well-drained soils enriched with organic matter, in partial shade as a general rule, but is adaptable to relatively poor soils (as long as sufficient drainage is provided to prevent dormant season crown rot), and is tolerant of Summer drought (as long as the plant is root-established and is sited in a shady spot)
• propagated primarily by crown division in early Autumn or early Spring
• Lily Family, with slugs being the primary pest problem (creating "shot holes" in the foliage, although deer can also be an even bigger feeding disaster), while crown rot or leaf spot may occur in poorly drained or poorly aerated sites, respectively
• abundantly available in containers, with many cultivars

Foliage

• leaves are different shades of green, chartreuse, gold, or blue, frequently with white, cream, gold, or yellow variegation
• leaves originating from the crown have long concave petioles, with the ovate to elliptical leaf blades having prominent sunken veins that are parallel to the entire leaf margins
• leaf blades may be quite diminutive (2" long) or extremely large (1' long or more), depending upon cultivar
• small leaves may occur in alternate fashion along the bottom of the flowering scapes
• fall color becomes a faded golden-brown or chartreuse with the onset of cooler temperatures (irrespective of Summer foliage color or variegation) and quickly melts back to the ground with early frosts

Flowers

• white, lavender, or light purple, and sometimes slightly fragrant
• horizontal to slightly nodding tubular flowers are borne along the top half of flowering stalks (scapes) that are 0.5' to 6' tall, depending upon cultivar
• blooming for about two weeks at some period from July through September, depending upon cultivar

Fruits

• visible but ornamentally insignificant; scapes should be deadheaded after flowering to promote the attractive basal foliage

Twigs

• not applicable

Trunk

• not applicable

ID Summary

• large leaf blades, usually ovate in shape, deeply veined, on long concave petioles, and frequently variegated or blue-foliaged, radiate from the central crowns and are the primary feature of this shade perennial, often with long-stalked flowers in mid- or late Summer

USAGE

Function

• foundations, beds, edgings, borders, group plantings, entranceways, understory plantings beneath large trees, or focal points in the shade

Texture

• bold texture (in most cases) when in foliage
• thick density for the basal foliage, but open density for the flowering scapes

Assets

• bold foliage is striking for its color, variegation, size, and/or growth habit
• shade-loving

Liabilities

• slugs can disfigure the prominent foliage
• deer feeding can also be an occasional problem in suburban or rural areas

Habitat

• zones 3 to 9
• native to China and Japan

SELECTIONS

Alternates

• bold-foliaged perennials for shady sites (Helleborus orientalis, Kirengeshoma palmata, Ligularia dentata, Peltiphyllum peltatum, Petasites japonicus, Podophyllum peltatum, etc.)

Variants

• several species and hundreds of hybrids and cultivars exist, differing in foliage color, variegation, size, and puckering, petiole length and angle to the crown, overall clump height and width, and floral bloom period, height, color, and fragrance
• Hosta x hybrida 'Golden Tiara' - medium green foliage is outlined by chartreuse-golden margins, with attractive lavender-purple inflorescences in early- to mid-Summer, to 1.5' tall by 1.5' wide
• Hosta x hybrida 'Great Expectations' - blue foliage with a cream center, having white inflorescences in early Summer, to 2.5' tall by 2.5' wide
• Hosta x hybrida 'Halcyon' - round blue leaves are topped by white inflorescences in mid-Summer, to 2' tall by 2' wide
• Hosta x hybrida 'Krossa Regal' - gray-blue foliage held in a unique upright vase-shaped growth habit is topped by 5' tall pale lavender inflorescences, to 4' tall by 3' wide
• Hosta x hybrida 'Royal Standard' - large, deeply veined, pale green leaves are topped by 3' tall very fragrant bold white inflorescences in mid- to late Summer, to 2' tall by 3' wide
• Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans' - emerging gray-green foliage matures to a glaucous blue-gray color, being large, rounded, and heavily puckered, with white inflorescences in mid-Summer, to 3' tall by 4' wide, the standard cultivar for blue Hostas and a parent to many other blue or blue-variegated Hostas
• Hosta sieboldiana 'Frances Williams' - large blue-green and lightly puckered leaves are edged in cream-gold, with white inflorescences, to 3' tall by 4' wide; often regarded as the most popular Hosta
• Hosta x hybrida 'Sum and Substance' - chartreuse to golden-yellow foliage, best placed in partial sun to maintain the intense golden hue, somewhat slug resistant, with 3' tall white inflorescences, to 3' tall by 4' wide

NOTES

Translation

• Hosta is named for Dr. Nicolas Tomas Host of 19th century Austria.
• x hybrida refers to the hybrid origin of the modern cultivars of this genus.

Purpose

• Hosta is the classic foliage perennial for shady sites, and along with Daylily, is one of the top two selling perennials.

Summary

• Hosta x hybrida is a bold-textured foliage perennial for partial sun to full shade conditions, also having moderately attractive flowers on long stalks in Summer, with hundreds of cultivars to choose from, differing primarily in foliage color, variegation, and size.