Hosta Plant Profile

Hostas (Hosta spp.) are known for their beautiful foliage that range from bright chartreuse greens to deep blue-green tones. Many hosta plants also have variegated foliage with cream or white edging or patterns. Hosta are also known as Plantain Lily and are native to Asia.

In addition to their attractive foliage, hostas send up flower stalks of white or purple flowers in the summer that attract various pollinators. Some varieties of hosta are particularly known for their honey-like flower fragrance. They do best in best in rich, humusy soils that are kept relatively moist, but not water-logged. Hostas prefer shady locations, but can tolerate additional sun exposure with extra watering. Hostas die back to the ground over winter and leaf back out in the spring, so they pair well with early-spring blooming bulbs like snowdrops or daffodils. Hostas are very low-maintenance. To encourage more vigorous growth, sprinkle a slow-release fertilizer as they begin to grow in spring and mulch with an organic compost. If deer, vole, or rabbits are an issue, apply a repellent spray. If slugs or snails chew on the leaves, spread iron phosphate pellets or diatomaceous earth around the plants. Hostas can be miniature or dwarf-sized with leaves just an inch or so wide, all the way up to selections that are several feet wide. There are common hostas that are fairly inexpensive and quite rare ones that cost hundreds of dollars for a single division. The good thing about hosta is that you can start with just a few as they multiply in clumps and are easy to dig and divide to spread them about and form a dense groundcover in a matter of years.

Hosta: You Can Grow That!

This profile was excerpted from the book "Groundcover Revolution" by Kathy Jentz (Amazon author affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4l78pia) The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine. Audio, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz Editing by Ian Ferris ➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!) ➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out ➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE ~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com ~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener ~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/ ~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine ~ Podcast: GardenDC If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles: ~ Sarcococca Plant Profile https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/03/sarcococca-plant-profile.html ~ Bletilla Plant Profile https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/05/bletilla-plant-profile.html ~ Stinking Hellebore Plant Profile https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/02/stinking-hellebore-plant-profile.html