Hosta

Hosta are shade-tolerant, hardy, clump forming perennial plants grown principally for their foliage they are plants which perform well in a shady environment. The plants are grown from divisions and can be planted any time from the middle of May until the middle of September. The soil can vary from sand to clay loam, but is best supplemented with organic material. Hosta can be mass planted as a ground cover or as a surround, particularly under trees whose shade and roots make grass difficult to grow. Hosta are often used as edging plants to soften the line between the garden and a yard or paved area.

A. Sizes: Individual clumps come in a variety of sizes, from fist-size plants to mounds three feet tall and five feet across:

1. dwarf less 4”

2. miniature 4-6”

3. small 6-10”

4. medium 10-18”

5. large 18-28”

 B. Foliage Colors: may have a single, solid color or may have the colors mixed with center or edge variegation. 

 1. blue

 2. gold (yellow)

3. green

4. variegated

C. Leaf Shapes: Leaf size can vary from thumbnail size to the size of a serving platter.

  1. truncate; as if cut straight across the base (elongated, sword-shaped).

 2. rounded;(heart shaped) with two equal, rounded lobes on each side of the stalk.

3. wedge-shaped; with the sides straight but converging.

4. attenuate; the sides curved and converging.

 D. Leaf Surface:

 1. flat

2. concave

3. seer-sucker; bubbly looking