15 best hosta cultivars by leaf color and size
Hostas are the plant I reach for every time I need to fill a shady dry spot under the oak at the back of my Long Island yard. I grow about 15 cultivars there, ranging from the dinner-plate 'Sum and Substance' to miniature 'Blue Mouse Ears'. The oak casts dappled shade and the soil is sandy loam.
Hostas are the plant I reach for every time I need to fill a shady dry spot under the oak at the back of my Long Island yard. I grow about 15 cultivars there, ranging from the dinner-plate 'Sum and Substance' to miniature 'Blue Mouse Ears'. The oak casts dappled shade and the soil is sandy loam that dries fast in July. Most of my hostas get zero supplemental water after the first year. The ones that struggle are the gold cultivars — gold color is most vivid in more sun, which conflicts with the dry conditions under the oak. That's a real trade-off I'll discuss below.
Hostas are grown almost exclusively for foliage. Their lavender or white flowers are a seasonal bonus, not the point.
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How to choose by leaf color
Per Cornell Cooperative Extension, hosta leaf color is strongly influenced by light levels:
- Blue cultivars achieve best color in cool weather and shade. The blue tint comes from a waxy coating on the leaf. High heat and direct afternoon sun burn off this wax by midsummer, shifting blue cultivars to gray-green. Per Cornell, blue cultivars need morning sun maximum and shade from noon onward for the longest color retention.
- Gold cultivars are most vivid with 2—4 hours of morning or dappled sun. Deep shade produces lime-green rather than gold. Per UMN Extension, gold cultivars without adequate light lose their color identity and simply look like green hostas.
- Variegated cultivars with yellow or white margins need some indirect light to develop their margins fully. Heavy shade fades margins toward green.
- Green and dark green cultivars are the most adaptable and perform in the widest light range.