12 Beautiful Hosta Varieties for Your Shade Garden
If you’re looking for showy flowering plants to fill in a shady spot in your garden or patio, look no further than the hosta. There are more than 3,000 hosta varieties, with leaves coming in a variety of colors, patterns, sizes and textures. These plants also don flowers in the summertime, which adds additional color and interest while attracting hummingbirds to the garden. Read on to learn more about a few types of hostas and how to grow them.
See more: 10 Plants That Thrive in the Shade
A Quick Note on Hosta Care
In general, hostas do well in shady areas, though some are more sun-tolerant. In fact, most hosta varieties do best when they receive a bit of dappled light throughout the day. Hostas also need soil that is moist but not wet. Once established, they will tolerate occasionally dry soil, but will not survive long periods of drought.
All hosta varieties flower from a long stem called a scape. The American Hosta Society recommends cutting off each scape after three-fourths of the flower buds have opened in order to keep the plant’s energy focused on growing roots and leaves.
1. Blue Mouse Ears Hosta
This miniature blue hosta grows up to about 5 to 10 inches tall and a foot wide and spreads into perfectly symmetrical mounds with its thick, round, blue-green to grey-green leaves. During the summer, clusters of lavender, bell-shaped flowers emerge. This is an excellent choice for rock gardens and containers. Blue Mouse Ears also do well in urban environments, toughing it out against foes like car exhaust and other pollutants. They’re hardy in Zones 3 to 9 and require partial to full shade with well-draining soil.
See more: Guide to the New USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
2. Brother Stefan Hosta
Brother Stefan is a large hosta variety, reaching 20 inches tall and 3 feet wide. It’s slow growing, but the wait is worth it, as it dons thick, textured and variegated leaves of green and gold. This hosta grows in Zones 3 to 9 and needs partial to full shade with well-draining, neutral to acidic soil.
3. June Hosta
This stunning plant has heart-shaped, dark blue-green leaves painted with yellowish-green centers. This variety reaches about 16 to 24 inches tall and 37 inches wide. Plant it in full shade in well-draining soil. Bell-shaped lavender flowers hover about 2 feet over the foliage in summer. The June Hosta is perfect for accents, borders, containers, cottage gardens and mixed beds in Zones 3 through 9.
4. Big Daddy Hosta
On the larger end of the size spectrum among hosta varieties is the Big Daddy, which can reach 2 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. It features large, blue-green, textured leaves that become dark green as they age and white bell-shaped flowers in the summer. This shade-growing superstar works well near the base of a tree or even in a large container on your porch or patio. Big Daddy hostas adapt well to just about any soil and are drought-tolerant, though they prefer moist soil. They are also exceptionally slug-resistant thanks to their thick and textured leaves. They’re great for Zones 3 through 9.
5. Voices in the Wind Hosta
The spade-like green leaves of the Voices in the Wind Hosta don just a bit of yellow around their ruffled margins, making this plant a unique focal point for any garden. Pale lavender flowers begin to bloom in midsummer. The plant grows to 17 inches tall and can reach 29 inches wide. Opt for partial to full shade with fertile, well-draining soil in Zones 3 to 9.
See more: 12 Specialty Seed Varieties You May Not Be Familiar With
6. Maui Buttercups Hosta
This smaller hosta variety dons spade-like, golden-colored leaves that are corrugated and cupped. It grows to about 10 inches tall and 14 inches wide and does well in partial to full shade in fertile, well-draining soil. Near-white flowers come out to play in midsummer. Maui Buttercups is both slug-resistant and sun-tolerant, making it a versatile and hardy choice for Zones 3 to 9.
7. Fire and Ice Hosta
This is another variegated hosta that features slightly twisted, dark green leaves with a splash of white near their center. The plant’s soft purple flowers tower above the foliage from its scapes like flags in the summer. Expect Fire and Ice to reach 15 inches tall and 22 inches wide, and plant it in partial to full shade in fertile, well-draining soil. This is a great choice for shaded gardens and borders in Zones 3 to 9.
8. Kiwi Spearmint Hosta
Like Fire and Ice, the Kiwi Spearmint hosta features green and white variegation on its wavy leaves, but it’s a bit smaller, reaching about a foot tall and 2 feet white. It’s a great choice for small, shady spots with fertile, well-draining soil. Try planting the Kiwi Spearmint hosta in a rock garden, border or container to add a little whimsy to your outdoor space. These hostas flaunt purple flowers in the summer and do well in Zones 3 to 9.
9. Silly String Hosta
Of all the types of hostas, the Silly sSring may be one of the most unique, with its long, slender green leaves that are wavy around the edges. It also blooms in late summer – later than most hostas – showcasing its lavender flowers. The plant grows to about 14 inches tall and 28 inches wide and requires partial to full shade and constantly moist soil. Silly String hosta is best suited for Zones 3 to 9.
10. Patriot Hosta
The mid-sized Patriot hosta works well in many garden designs and spaces, reaching 12 to 20 inches tall and 24 to 30 inches wide. Its leaves are dark green in the center with white around the outer edges. Lavender flowers grow from 26- to 30-inch scapes in the summer. The Patriot hosta is happy in Zones 3 to 9 and requires partial to full shade and fertile, well-draining soil.
11. Shadowland Autumn Frost Hosta
This variety boasts large, frosty, blue-green leaves with an extra-wide yellow margin that lightens to creamy white in the summer. Expect light lavender flowers to emerge in midsummer. The plant reaches about a foot tall and 2 feet wide and likes fertile, well-drained soil. Plant the Shadowland Autumn Frost in partial to full shade in borders, mass plantings or containers in Zones 3 to 9.
12. Diamond Lake Hosta
This large blue-green hosta features heavily corrugated, heart-shaped leaves with ripples. Come summer, the plant sports lavender-colored flowers. Make sure you leave plenty of room for this hosta variety, which reaches 17 inches tall and 45 inches wide. Best in Zones 3 to 9, this hosta needs partial to full shade and fertile, well-draining soil.