This article was prepared with the support of UFL flower delivery. The hosta (also called plantain lily or funkia) is a perennial from East Asia: in the wild it grows in Japan, China, Korea and the Kuril Islands along rivers and streams, at woodland edges and on mountain slopes. It's named after the Austrian botanist Nicolaus Host, while the name funkia honours the German botanist Heinrich Funck. In Japan, young hosta shoots are eaten as a delicacy. More flowers with photos, names and meanings are in our types of flowers guide.
You can delight someone today: potted plants or flower baskets.
Today hostas are placed in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae); they used to be classed with lilies. There are about 45 species and over 5,000 registered cultivars, from tiny 10 cm plants to 1.2 m giants with leaves the size of a tray.
Hostas don't crowd out their neighbours, but as they spread they smother weeds. They have no medicinal properties.
The best times are May, once frosts are over and the soil has warmed, or late August to early September. Hostas need about six weeks to root, so finish autumn planting by mid-September. Container plants can go in all season.
The ideal spot is sheltered part shade: morning or evening sun and shade in the midday heat. In deep shade plants grow more slowly but the leaves are larger. Under trees with shallow roots, such as birch or maple, hostas struggle for moisture.
Moist, loose, rich in humus, slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6–7.5) and well drained. Improve poor sand and heavy clay with compost. For spring planting, spread about 10 cm of organic matter over the bed in autumn and dig it in.
In a sunny spot, shade new plants for the first few days. Remember that a variety's true colour, size and texture only fully show in years 3–4.
| What | How |
|---|---|
| Watering | Keep the soil consistently moist. In hot weather water deeply 1–2 times a week at the base, morning or evening. Drops on the leaves wash off the waxy bloom and cause scorch. Brown leaf tips mean the plant is short of water. |
| Mulch | Bark, compost or pine needles retain moisture and suppress weeds. |
| Feeding | Compost or a balanced slow-release fertiliser in early spring, and again in early summer. Stop feeding after mid-July so the plant can prepare for winter. In rich soil, feeding every 2–3 years is enough. |
| Flower stalks | Cut them after flowering so the clump doesn't flop and waste energy on seed. If you grow hostas for foliage, remove the stalks in bud. |
| Weeding | Only early in the season — later the clump smothers weeds itself. |
| Autumn and winter | Remove yellowed leaves in late autumn or leave them until spring as natural cover. No winter protection is needed. |
The simplest and most reliable method, and it keeps all the variety's traits. Divide 4–5-year-old clumps in spring as the shoots emerge, or from late August to mid-September. Water the clump, lift it half an hour later and cut it with a sharp knife or spade so each piece has at least one shoot with roots. Replant at the same depth, 20–30 cm apart, and water well. Divisions establish in a month and become lush clumps in 2–3 years.
From May to July, detach a young shoot with a piece of rhizome (a "heel"), cut the leaves back by a third and plant it in shade under a cut-off plastic bottle. Roots form in 2–3 weeks. You can take a cutting without lifting the parent plant.
Seeds are used for species hostas and breeding new varieties: hybrid seedlings rarely match their parents and grow slowly. Chill the seeds in the fridge for a month and treat them with a growth stimulant.
Hostas are tough, and most problems come from the weather or care mistakes.
By leaf colour, hostas fall into groups: blue (glaucous, with a waxy bloom), yellow, green, variegated (with a light margin) and medio-variegated (a light centre with a green margin).
| Size | Height | Varieties |
|---|---|---|
| Dwarf | up to 10–15 cm | Blue Mouse Ears (leaves like mouse ears), Mighty Mouse |
| Small | 15–25 cm | Gold Standard (compact when young), Headsman's Blue, Pacific Blue Edger |
| Medium | 30–50 cm | June, So Sweet, White Feather, Night Before Christmas, Halcyon |
| Large | 50–70 cm | Francee, Patriot, Wide Brim, Golden Meadows |
| Giant | over 70 cm | Sum and Substance, Sagae, Blue Angel, Empress Wu |
Varieties with red or burgundy leaf stalks are especially striking against the greens of the garden and look lovely next to roses:
Hostas make excellent edging plants: they're long-lived, hardy and hold their shape all season. It takes 2–3 years for an edging to fill in.
How to plan an edging:
Hosta leaves last a long time once cut and set off flowers beautifully, so florists use them in bouquets and arrangements. Small bouquets suit medium varieties with elegant leaves, such as blue Frosted Dimples or white-and-blue Ivory Queen. Warm golden bouquets pair with Morning Light and Dancing Queen, white ones with Night Before Christmas. Large arrangements use the giant leaves of Elatior and Golden Meadows.
Bouquets with foliage, including hosta leaves, can be ordered from the UFL flower shop with delivery across Kyiv and Ukraine.
Hostas grow well in large planters — it protects the leaves from slugs and brightens a shady terrace or entrance. Choose a pot with drainage holes of at least 15–20 litres for mid-size varieties and rich, moisture-retentive soil. Container soil dries out faster, so water more often in summer, and in winter sink the pot into the garden soil or move it to an unheated shed: roots in a pot freeze harder than in the ground.
Yellow and some green varieties (Sum and Substance, Royal Standard) tolerate sun if watered generously. Blue and variegated varieties need shade or part shade.
No, hostas overwinter in Ukraine without cover. Young divisions planted in autumn can be mulched.
Usually because of a lack of water or direct sun in hot weather.
Not to people, but hosta leaves are considered mildly toxic to cats and dogs.
Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
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