Chapter 12
A short, opinionated list of beginner-friendly hostas that perform reliably in Ohio shade. Every one of these is available at a regional independent garden center; none requires a specialty mail-order nursery.
The benchmark giant gold-leaved hosta. Forms a 3–4 ft tall, 5–6 ft wide mound of chartreuse-gold leaves that turn deep yellow with morning sun. Slug-resistant due to thick leaf substance. Lavender flowers in mid-summer. Plant it where it has room and don't apologize for the space it takes.
The hosta against which all blue hostas are measured. Heavily corrugated (puckered), powdery-blue leaves up to 14 inches across on a 3-ft-wide mound. White flowers in early summer. Wants full shade — the more shade, the bluer the leaves stay through summer. Long-lived; clumps over 50 years old are common.
Dark green leaves with crisp, wide white margins. Forms a tidy 18–22 inch mound. Holds variegation in deeper shade than most variegated hostas; one of the most reliable performers in zones 5–6. American Hosta Growers Association "Hosta of the Year" in 1997.
A sport of 'Halcyon' with gold-and-chartreuse centers framed by blue-green margins. The color shifts through the season — more gold in spring, more chartreuse in summer. 2001 Hosta of the Year. Medium size, slug-resistant, holds color in surprisingly heavy shade. A good plant to teach you what "elegant" means in a hosta.
Eric Smith's Tardiana-series blue hosta, smaller and more refined than 'Elegans'. 18-inch mound of clean, pointed, glaucous-blue leaves. Pale lavender flowers. Excellent for the middle of a shade bed where 'Elegans' would overpower.
Forest-green leaves with narrow but crisp white margins. Forms a 22-inch mound with a fountain-like, slightly arching habit. Tolerates more sun than most variegated hostas; the variegation reverses ('Patriot' was actually a sport of 'Francee'). A bulletproof beginner plant.
Chartreuse-to-gold leaves with darker green edges, plus large, sweetly-fragrant white flowers in August. A H. plantaginea hybrid that combines fragrant flowers with showy foliage. Grows large (2 ft tall, 5 ft wide). Wants more sun than most — morning sun encourages both the gold color and the abundant flowering. 2002 Hosta of the Year.
The species. Pure green, glossy, somewhat thin leaves on a 2-ft mound; the foliage is honestly nothing special. You grow this hosta for the flowers. Four-inch trumpet white blooms in late August, evening-opening, intensely fragrant. Heritage plant in American gardens since the early 1800s. Plant near a porch or open window.
Glossy bright green leaves on a fast-growing 2-ft mound, with fragrant white flowers in late summer (a plantaginea hybrid). Tolerates more sun than the rules say it should; nearly indestructible. The right plant if you want green and lots of it.
Most giant hostas are wide and flat. 'Krossa Regal' is the exception: upright, vase-shaped, with frosty blue-grey leaves that arch outward. Reaches 3 ft tall with 5-ft scapes of lavender flowers. Looks architectural rather than mound-like — a single specimen anchors a corner.
The most-grown miniature hosta in the world. Round, thick, blue-grey leaves the size and shape of a mouse's ear; the whole plant tops out at 6 inches tall and a foot wide. Plant a row of these along the front edge of a bed and look at them every spring. 2008 Hosta of the Year. Spawned an entire family of named sports — 'Mighty Mouse', 'Frosted Mouse Ears', etc. — all worth growing.
Currently the largest hosta cultivar in cultivation, with leaves nearly 18 inches across on mounds reaching 4 ft tall and 6 ft wide. Dark green, ribbed, dramatic. Wants real shade and plenty of room. Plant only if you have the space; she does not share.