Hostas are hardy perennials that are especially perfect for a garden that doesn’t get too much sun. Reliable and easy to grow, hostas are long-lived—and may even outlive the gardener! Plant in the spring and cut back in the fall after a few frosts. Learn more about growing and caring for hostas.
About Hostas
What’s neat about hostas is that there are so many sizes, heights, textures, and colors to work with! They fit into so many different kinds of gardens (patio, border, container, rock, shade) and are cold-hardy, too.
Most varieties tend to have a spread and height of between 1 and 3 feet, but larger or smaller varieties are readily available. Leaf colors include variegated white, lime green, and blue-green, to name just a few. The texture and shape of hosta leaves are also diverse, ranging from smooth and narrow to ridged and heart-shaped.
Though mainly known for their attractive foliage, the plants also produce lovely flowers from early summer to early fall in pink, lavender, light blue, or white. Hummingbirds and other pollinators love the flowers, and the flowers may even be fragrant, depending on variety.
Note: Slugs, snails, rabbits, and especially deer like hostas almost as much as people do. Keep this in mind if you have deer regularly wandering into your garden, as they will readily graze a hosta patch down to just stems.
Reader Comments
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Hosta replant
I recently got a lot of hosta plants that my friend was digging up. We planted them today 9/27,should we cut them back or is there anything we should do special?
Hosta Replant
Hostas are extremely hearty. You do not need to cut them back until the frost kills off the leaves in a few weeks. If the transplantation left them looking bedraggled you can cut them back and they will survive but it will be better for them to keep their leaves for longer.
not cutting hosts back
We don't have time cut our hostas back in the fall. Will it compromise their health by skipping this part of their care?
Not cutting hostas back
They will be more prone to rot/disease but odds are they will be ok. If you wait until the leaves are SUPER dead from the frost they just pull right off of the plant, no need to even cut them.
Slugs
How do I get rid of slugs that are eating my Hostas's?
Slugs on hostas
Slugs do love hostas. See our Slug page on how to get rid of slugs: https://www.almanac.com/pest/slugs
Hosta's
There are tunnels going to my hosta. The roots are being eaten and the leaves are left. The leaves drop into the hole. One day the plant is standing the next it is flat on the ground.
This morning I just found a pile of leaves moved from the plant and no roots are left. Help! This season I am losing all my hosta.
Hosta Pest
It sounds like you’re dealing with a rodent pest of some sort; probably a groundhog. See our groundhog pest page for advice on repelling them from your garden.
Hostas
I live in Florida, zone 9. Will hostas grow here?
zone 9?
We suggest that they will in the chart that opens this article. However, not all of them will. It would be best to contact your local cooperative extension service to see if and which in your particular area would do best. Here’s a link to find the service nearest you: https://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services
Hostas
I'm wondering why my green and white hostas are now having leaves that are all green and are not like the original plant that I purchased. Am I doing something wrong?
Hostas
I am moving into a new home and it has several hostas, but they are laying flat on the ground as if an animal has been laying on them. However, there are no animals in the area that big. So what's going on and what do I do with them. It's definitely fall here.
hostas on the ground
Did you have a freeze or a chill? Hostas are perennials but they are not evergreens, so they will “give up,” so to speak at some point in the fall as they prepare to enter dormancy. Without knowing more, it sounds like you need do nothing.
Hosta planting
Can you plant hosta seeds in ground in fall as long as you water them? Will they come up in the Spring?
when to start hosta seeds
Seed-starting time for hostas as well as other plants is February or March. About two weeks before you want to start/plant them (we suggest in peat pots or the like), put them into a bowl of water and soak them, in the refrigerator for about two weeks. Here’s some guidance on seed starting: https://www.almanac.com/content/starting-seeds-indoors
Bear in mind that germination is typically low (you need a lot of seeds to get a few plants) and slow (it could be two weeks to two months or more before you see growth). Good luck with this—and remember you can always divide hostas to increase your collection (it doesn’t take as long to get a plant).
about hosta
I like the idea you share about bare root division in hosta. I personally promote root division rather than seed propagation. The way you present your ideas are appreciable in simple and easy to understand.
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