Different Types of Hosta Plants

Different types of Hosta Plants

Hosta plants are most well known for their ability to grow in shady areas, and their amazing variety of colors and textures. Not everyone knows this, but many types of hosta plants actually produce flowers too, and these flowers can be quite beautiful in and of themselves.

Flowering hosta plants usually need a little more sunlight than non flowering ones though, and this is particularly true for hostas which produce flowers that have a nice scent to them. How much sunlight these plants need will depend on the strength of sun in your own garden zone though, and there may be a bit of trial and error involved before you discover just the right location for them.

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In most cases, it’s safe to plant flowering hostas in a location which receives morning sunlight, and shade in the afternoon. The morning sun is not as strong as the afternoon sun is, and the light doesn’t last as long either.

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For the most part though, hosta plants are generally grown for their gorgeous colorful foliage instead of their flowers. And a basic rule of thumb is: The darker the foliage, the more shade the plant can handle. Sometimes however, the best planting location will depend more on the color of the hosta’s foliage than the darkness of that color.

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Hosta plants which have golden colored leaves for instance, tend to do better with a bit more sun. The sun actually helps bring out the color of the foliage in all it’s glory. A hosta plant which has blue colored leaves though, will do much better in shady areas. It can live in mostly shaded locations, or fully shaded locations.

Hosta - Hosta Hadspen Blue - Quart
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Many hosta plants actually have variegated foliage though, and a general rule of thumb is that they should be grown in partial to full shade. You’ll find some have lighter colors in the center of their leaves, while others have the lightest colors at the outer edges.

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Garden Tip...

In planting tree roses received from the nursery or elsewhere, be sure and set them deep; the stem, for six or eight inches above the collar, should be under ground. If wet moss be tied about the stem and head of the tree after it has been planted, and the moss kept wet for a week or two after planting, or until the buds begin to start, it will, in nine cases out of ten, save the tree. The moss maybe removed after the growth begins. If planted in the fall, the body and top should be well wrapped up in straw.
~ James Sheehan
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If you live in a climate which has a fairly hot or strong sunlight, then partial shade might still be a bit too much sun for many types of hosta plants. What you’ll want to look for is a location that has heavily filtered sunlight, or light shade all day long.

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Hostas are fairly easy to care for too, because their growth habits tend to choke out weeds. They’re also quite useful as lawn or garden border plants, and they can even be used as all purpose ground covers in some areas too. Hosta plants do need plenty of water and good drainage though, and this can make growing them in hot climates a bit difficult.

American Halo Hosta - Shade Lover - White Flowers
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Garden Tip...

Perhaps the best soil for general potting purposes, and the kind most extensively used by florists, is a mixture of equal parts of decayed sods, and well-rotted stable manure, and occasionally, especially if the sod is clayey, a little sand is added.
~ James Sheehan
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