Hostas are easy to grow, shade tolerant, herbaceous perennials. Grown mainly for their beautiful foliage, hostas exist in a wide range of shapes, colors, sizes, and textures. They were once classified in the family Liliaceae but are now included in the family Agavaceae. Hostas are also called plantain lilies or Funkia, but these names are outdated. The scientific name for hosta is also its common name.

Hostas, native to Japan, Korea, and China, were imported to North America in the mid-1800s. From the handful of species that were imported, hybridizing and tissue culture propagation have increased options for today's gardeners as there are many species and thousands of cultivars available.

If we're at all familiar with gardens, the name hosta evokes an image of a low-growing green plant with large broad leaves. To be more specific, a hosta is a non-bulbous lily that is a shade tolerant, hardy perennial plant grown principally for its foliage. But hostas produce pendulous 1" to 2" long white or violet flowers on an erect panicle up to 31" tall.

Hostas are hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8, meaning they grow in most areas except deserts and the tropics or subtropics. They need about 700 hours below 40 degrees F to meet their dormancy requirements.

Hostas prefer moist, light, humus-based acid soil. The soil should be rich in organic matter and it can be any form: peat moss, rotted or composted manure, rotted sawdust, or composted leaves. By adding large quantities of organic matter, moisture retention and aeration of the soil is improved. Due in part to their leaf size, hostas have a very high transpiration rate, and so soil conditions should allow for optimum water retention.

Keep in mind that with hostas, whichever you choose, you really can not go wrong. However, there are two keys to growing hostas successfully: light and water. Most newcomers think all hostas do best in full shade, but this isn't true. Hostas tolerate varying degrees of shade, yet some like the sun. Each variety of hosta has a different light requirement, so you can plant hostas in almost any light situation. Generally, blue hostas prefer more shade and the gold and yellow-colored varieties tolerate and receive their best coloring from more sun. If you have dense shade, you might want more variegated ones to help brighten the areas.

Preferring a well-drained location, hostas generally need more water than the rain provides in an average year. This is true especially if growing under trees which take up much soil moisture. Plants in ideal growth conditions receive 1-1/2" per week. Over the course of a season that is 3/4" every 3 to 4 days. Hostas need this extra water during the growing season, but not in winter when they are dormant. Too much water in winter can contribute to crown or root rot.

Hostas need room and about two seasons to grow and achieve their full potential. When planting, space the small-leaved hostas between 18" and 24" apart and the large-leaved ones 24" to 30" apart. Space them appropriately to allow room for growth since hostas do best when left undisturbed for several years.

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