Flower Index Index by Family Set 1 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 Set 7

Hosta | Hosta

First bloom dates:

2017 June 7

2019 June 3

2020 June 15

2024 May 31

---

Hosta | Hosta

Asparagaceae (Asparagus Family) (Pronounced ah-spare-a-gay-see-eye)

The name "Hosta" is in honor of Austrian botanist Nicholas Thomas Host (1761-1834). It was named in 1812.

The variety Hosta plantaginea has a common name of Plantain Lily and the difference from other Hosta is that it tolerates the sun. I have always heard of "plantain," but I alays thought it was like a banana! Well it is! But this is "plantain herb" which is also known as "broadleaf plantain" and looks like a weed! Go ahead, search the internet for "Plantago major" and you'll go "ah-ha, I've seen that weed before!" Then I ponder why it is called a "lily" when it looks nothing like a lily to me, but apparently it seems the flowers of a Hosta are lily-like. Really?

Hosta is a perennial plant that grows from rhizomes.

Hostas are a popular plant grown mostly for their unique leaves. The leaves act as a natural weed barrier as well and I rarely have to weed under a Hosta. Cultivars have a wide variety of sizes from huge to rather small. Having a complimentary variety in a shade garden can be pleasing to the eye. I personally love the variegated varieties.

Trumpet-shaped blooms appear at the top of a long stem in the Summer. They sway in the wind and lent to a cottage garden feel. Flower colors are a range from white to deeper purple. I deadhead the flowers, but some folks leave them. I like to keep my garden tidy.

Deer and rabbits love to eat the Hosta leaves, so they are not a good choice if you have these visitors.

At the end of the garden season, I cut my Hostas back to the ground because I do not like them looking scraggly. They disappear under the ground and begin to reveal themselves again in the Spring. This is a good time to divide them and transplant them before they get too big, although they are fairly resilient and will make it through divisions at any time of the year.

We used them as a crux (aka crucial point) for many years as they were so easy to grow and filled the garden quickly without effort. In 2023, we finally removed at least 25 hostas and tossed them out. Many were in locations that were too sunny and by late July or August they were turning brown and needing to be cut back. It was more work than I realized! I am glad to be making changes in the garden. We still have plenty of them.

See how many varieties at the Hosta Library. http://www.hostalibrary.org/speciestop.htm

There is an American Hosta Society: http://americanhostasociety.org

The Society has Hosta shows and judging just like Iris shows.

Check out their Hosta Database with currently 7387 varities: http://www.hostaregistrar.org/search.php

The American Hosta Society has the following leaf color categories which are used in their shows:

1) Green

2) Blue

3) Yellow (and Gold)

4) White Margined (variegated; a. yellow, white, or chartreuse center; b. green or blue center)

5) Yellow Margined (variegated; a. yellow, white, or chartreuse center; b. green or blue center)

6) Green or Blue Margined ((variegated; a. yellow, white, or chartreuse center; b. green or blue center distinct from margin)

7) Streaked or Mottled

8) Others (includes early season variants)

The American Hostal Society also classify varieties by height:

Section I: Giant-leaved (greater than 28 inches; 120 square inches or larger).

Section II: Large-leaved (18 - 28 inches; 64 to <120 square inches)

Section III: Medium-leaved (10-18 inches; 30 to <64 square inches)

Section IV: Small-leaved (6-10 inches; 6 to <30 square inches)

Section V: Miniature-leaved (4-6 inches; <6 square inches)

Dwarf (less than 4 inches);

Now I wonder what color category and height my Hostas fall under. It is a start to being able to know Hostas better.

2024

I love in the early Spring when I see the hosta leaves peaking up through the ground for the first time.

I have learned that I love Hosta plants in a pot, especially the smaller leaved variety. I can move it around or, in this case, elevate it to bring interest into the garden. It looks so cute behind the water fountain.

There are lots of Hosta plants in our shade garden mixed with ferns and huechera.

I tried putting a Hosta in a small pot. It broke my porcelean pot trying to keep it over the Winter months, so I put it in a plastic pot and it came back just fine and is now blooming in my decorative trike.

This is my toad king protecting his house and sitting under the Hosta. This bowl was first in the front garden with Lily of the Valley in it. I had painted it white then. I moved it to the back gardens and put a Hosta plant in it and set it in the garden bed. Last year the pot cracked apart, but it could still be pushed together like puzzle pieces, so I dug a hole in the garden bed and put it together beneath the surface. It just keeps being repurposed! It keeps the Hosta in its space and from spreading.

The bees go all the way inside the Hosta flower and disappear! Then they pop out! It is hard to capture on camera and I tried for a while. The above and below photos are actually of a bee but it is inside the flower unseen. This photo he is blurry, but I managed to capture him as he flew into a flower. They are fast!