Hosta, Plantain Lily - Flowering Perennials

Hostas or plantain lilies are a group of large leaved foliage plants that have been bred into hundreds of different varieties.

There are leaves in all shades of green, sometimes with white, cream or yellow leaf margins or variations to them, some are blue-tinged, some smooth, wrinkled, ruffled etc. etc. There are lots of different Hostas!

They are one of those plants that seem to get under peoples skin and make them want to collect more and more varieties. Their habit is of a mound-forming plant with densely stacked over-lapping leaves. Trumpet shaped flowers in pink or white are borne on flower spikes from 12 to 24 inches tall, usually in mid summer.

Hostas can be grown as ground cover or as a part of a mixed herbaceous border, they look particularly good near water adding an air of lushness wherever they are grown.

They like moist fertile soil and protection from wind, those large leaves are vulnerable to wind damage and also to being dried out easily. They tend to prefer shade or partial shade, the only exceptions being the yellow-leaved varieties that color up better in full sun, if they don't have sun, they will grow as a mid-shade of green instead. Hostas are good in heavy clay soils.

Mulching the plants well in spring helps to enrich the soil around them and also to conserve moisture, both of which are important.

Propagation is by division in spring or fall, they can be grown from seed, though the results are very variable, if you want guaranteed quality plants, then buy named varieties instead.

Hostas are always susceptible to damage from slugs and snails. If this is a continuous problem, then growing in containers raised from the ground on feet speared with Vaseline and/or ash will help keep the molluscs away.