Most of us know that hostas grow best in shade. Between us, even those labeled as sun-loving, get fried by the end of summer when planted in full sun. My argument is there are soooo many plants for sun, why force one bred for shade to fry itself?
Shade is particularly important for the blue-leaf hostas. The blue is not the color of the leaf. Rather, the blue is a waxy-like coating called blum, which melts in the sun. It also can be worn off by irrigation and heavy rains. It’s not uncommon for blue-leaf hostas to get more of a green hue by the end of the season.
If you’ve grown hostas, you know that different varieties bloom at different times. ‘Elegans’ is one of the earliest to bloom. My favorites are the fragrant hostas, which tend to bloom later. August lily is a common name for H. plantaginea, one of the most fragrant hostas on the market. Its genetics are used in making other hostas fragrant. Plant the fragrant hostas where you can enjoy them, such as near a deck or patio. Mine are between my screened in porch and bedroom window.
Pay attention to hosta’s trumpet-like blooms. Hostas are one of the flowers bees rob for nectar. Bees punch a hole in the base of the flower and rob away. By the way, you can also eat your hosta. Ellen Zachos, the Backyard Forager, tells you how.
Slugs are the biggest hosta problem. There are lots of controls for slugs, from sunken tuna cans filled with beer, diatomaceous earth which slices their bodies, organic pesticides, to copper strips. The best tip to fend off slugs is to keep the mulch away from the base of the plant. It’s easy for slugs to squirm to the plant from the mulch is it’s close to the base.
The National Garden Bureau has named this the Year of the Hosta, where you’ll find fun info about the history of the plant and how to grow hosta.
Hostas come in all shapes and sizes. Leaves may be a solid color, or they may be variegated or splotched with greens, blues, golds, cream and white. The leaves may be two or three times the size of your head or as small as your thumb. If you love hostas and want to know more about them, check out the Indianapolis Hosta Society.
Pictured is ‘Mini Skirt’, named the 2024 Hosta of the Year by the American Hosta Growers Association. Photo courtesy provenwinners.com