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Hosta

Hosta is probably the most popular perennial plant in landscape design. It is adaptable to so many uses in the garden and landscape. It is ideal as a border and groundcover plant. Hosta, with its many varieties of shades and foliage, makes it a perfect accent plant. It has a wide range of shades and sizes of leaves and offers much enjoyment and versatility to the gardener. Hosta enjoys mostly shady environments, and thrives in soil conditions that are rich in organic material, compost and manure. They require adequate drainage and additional watering in warm, dry weather and are well known as one of the hardier perennial groups. They are also resistant to insect pests and plant diseases.

The main source of aggravation gardeners find with Hosta, is the appearance of slugs and snails. Slugs and snail, which are ravenous creature that devour good sized pieces of foliage, can leave large ragged holes. They begin feeding at the bottom of the plant and work their way up. Here are some great tips that ExperTrees suggests to combat this problem.

TIP:

The best way to prevent slugs or snails from destroying your Hosta, is to trap, remove and destroy the slugs every evening. There are commercial traps you can purchase at your local garden center, but here are some cheap commercial and home remedies you can try.

  • Hand pick and remove slugs.
  • Place a shallow dish filled with beer near the Hosta - sink the dish into the soil, so the slugs and snails will have easier access to the beer. Beer is toxic to slugs and snails.
  • Place grapefruit rind halves open side down in the soil around the Hosta. This is effective for up to 3 days.
  • Spread crushed eggshells around the Hosta. Slugs and snails will not travel over the sharp shells.
  • Spread horticultural sand around the Hosta in the spring to ward off young slugs and snails.
  • Sprinkle handfuls of wood ashes around the base of the Hosta. This will act as a barrier that the slugs and snails cannot get over. (Wear gloves when you do this, as wood ashes can be caustic) Also note that the stems and leaves of the Hosta do not like wood ashes, so take care not to get any on the plant. Wood ash also affects the soil pH and nutrient balance, so use sparingly.
  • Aluminum Sulphate in small doses (too much makes the soil acidic) worked into the soil around the Hosta, will repel the slugs and snails. Re-apply the dust after heavy rain.
  • Soak ordinary dry dog food in water, just enough to make the dog food slightly squishy. Put small piles of this ‘bait’ directly on the ground around the Hosta. Slugs and snails will cluster around the dog food, and they can be scooped up and removed. Surprisingly, this works better than the standard beer trick.

Here is a list of ExperTrees' favorite Hosta varieties. There are hundreds of others available.

Hosta - Green Leaved
Variety Width (at maturity) Height Flower Colour Light Requirements
Aphrodite 60cm 45cm Double white Sun or Shade
Hyacinthian 60cm 45cm Violet Sun or Shade
Obscura 60cm 45cm Purple White Sun or Partial Shade
Choo Choo Train 150cm 60cm Lavender Partial Shade
Black Hill 90cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Elisabeth 95cm 65cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Fountain 120cm 75cm White, Violet Partial Shade
Iron Gate Delight 50cm 35cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Joseph 45cm 30cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Venticosa 80cm 50cm Purple Sun or Shade
Honeybells 120cm 65cm Whitish, fragrant Sun or Shade
Tatoo 45cm 30cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Royal Standard 95cm 45cm White, fragrant Sun or Shade
Slim Polly 30cm 20cm Purple Partial Shade
Candy Hearts 70cm 40cm Whitish Sun or Shade
Permanent Wave 75cm 40cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Purple Dwarf 50cm 20cm Purple Partial Shade
Invincible 60cm 30cm Whitish, fragrant Sun or Shade
Hirao Supreme 120cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Pineapple Poll 60cm 45cm Lavender Sun or Shade

Hosta - Blue Leaved
Variety Width (at maturity) Height Flower Colour Light Requirements
Abiqua Moonbeam 75cm 65cm White Sun or Shade
Big Daddy 90cm 60cm White Sun or Shade
Big Mama 120cm 90cm White Sun or Shade
Blue Angel 120cm 90cm White Sun or Shade
Blue Moon 25cm 20cm White Sun or Shade
Blue Sheer 70cm 60cm White Sun or Partial Shade
Blue Splendor 60cm 40cm White Sun or Shade
Blue Umbrellas 120cm 90cm Whitish Sun or Shade
Camelot 60cm 40cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Elegans 100cm 80cm White Sun or Shade
Elvis Lives 60cm 40cm Whitish Sun or Shade
Guardian Angel 120cm 80cm Whitish Sun or Partial Shade
Halycon 95cm 50cm Whitish Sun or Shade
Krossa Regal 75cm 70cm Lavender Sun or Shade

Hosta - Gold Leaved
Variety Width (at maturity) Height Flower Colour Light Requirements
Day Break 90cm 55cm Lavender Part day Sun
Doubloons 100cm 50cm Lavender Part day Sun
Fried Bananas 90cm 60cm White Sun or Shade
Gold Regal 60cm 50cm Lavender Part day Sun
Golden Anniversary 90cm 50cm Lavender Part day Sun
Golden Sunburst 110cm 50cm Whitish Part day Sun
Great American Expectations 90cm 60cm White Light Shade
Harvest Glow 50cm 45cm Whitish Part day Sun
Heartache 80cm 45cm Purple Sun or Partial Shade
Hottsy Tottsy 90cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Jimmy Crack Corn 100cm 50cm White Part day Sun
King Tut 65cm 30cm White Part day Sun
Lemon Lime 45cm 30cm Purple Part day Sun
Midas Touch 70cm 45cm White Sun or Shade
Richland Gold 90cm 60cm Lilac Part day Sun
Sea Fire 120cm 45cm Lavender Part day Sun
Squash Casserole 100cm 55cm Purple Full Sun
Sum And Substance 150cm 75cm White Part day Sun
Sun Power 90cm 60cm Lavender Bright Light
Tattoo 45cm 30cm Lavender Partial Shade
Zounds 75cm 40cm White Sun

Hosta - White Margined
Variety Width (at maturity) Height Flower Colour Light Requirements
Aristocrat 75cm 40cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Carol 90cm 50cm Lavender Partial Shade
Christmas Tree 90cm 50cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Citation 75cm 45cm Whitish Sun or Partial Shade
Crown Jewel 20cm 10cm Lavender Light Shade
Crusader 75cm 40cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Dark Star 60cm 40cm Lavender Shade or Partial Shade
Dust Devil 120cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Fair Maiden 90cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Francee 90cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Frosted Jade 90cm 65cm White Light Shade
Hearts Content 80cm 50cm Lavender Sun or Partial Shade
Moonlight 90cm 50cm Lavender Part day Sun
Mountain Snow 150cm 70cm White Partial Shade
Northern Exposure 90cm 45cm White Partial Shade
Northern Halo 90cm 45cm White Partial Shade
Patriot (Hosta of the Year 1997) 90cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Peace 60cm 30cm Lavender Light Shade
Pilgrim 30cm 20cm Lavender Light Shade
Pizzazz 45cm 30cm Lavender Light Shade
Regal Splendor 90cm 90cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Showboat 60cm 40cm Lavender Partial Shade
Silver Crown 60cm 45cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Snow Cap 90cm 60cm Purple / White Sun or Shade
So Sweet (Hosta of the Year 1996) 30cm 20cm Whitish, fragrant Sun or Shade
Sugar and Cream 120cm 65cm Whitish Sun or Shade
Tambourine 130cm 50cm Pale Purple Sun or Shade
Torchlight 80cm 65cm Lavender Sun or Partial Shade
Undulata Albomarginata 90cm 85cm Light Purple Sun or Shade
Yellow Splash Rim 100cm 45cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Zager White Edge 75cm 50cm Lavender Sun or Shade

Hosta - Gold Margined
Variety Width (at maturity) Height Flower Colour Light Requirements
Abba Dabba Doo 90cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Partial Shade
Aurora Borealis 110cm 60cm White Part day Sun
Brim Cup 40cm 30cm Lavender Part Shade
Carnival 90cm 40cm Lavender Light Shade
El Capitan 100cm 60cm Lavender Light Shade
Frances Williams 120cm 60cm White Partial Shade
Fragrant Bouquet (Hosta of the Year 1998) 60cm 45cm White, fragrant Sun or Shade
Golden Tiara 55cm 35cm Purple Bright Light
Grand Tiara 60cm 35cm Purple Sun or Partial Shade
Joker 60cm 45cm Violet Sun or Shade
Lady Isobel Barnett 120cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Partial Shade
H Montana 'Aureomerginata' 100cm 60cm Whitish Part Shade
Olive Betty Langon 100cm 80cm White Shade
Sagae (Hosta of the Year 2000) 65cm 50cm Whitish Partial Shade
Showboat 60cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Partial Shade
Stenantha Variegated Fool's Gold 90cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Sum It Up 90cm 75cm Lavender Sun or Partial Shade
Summer Breeze 120cm 60cm Lavender Sun or Partial Shade
Tattoo 45cm 30cm Lavender Part day Sun
Twilight 60cm 50cm Purple Sun or Shade
Wide Brim 90cm 55cm White Sun or Partial Shade
Yellow River 120cm 60cm White Sun or Partial Shade
Wolverine 90cm 40cm Lavender Sun or Partial Shade
Zippity Do Dah 50cm 40cm Lavender Sun Tolerant

Hosta - Green Margined
Variety Width (at maturity) Height Flower Colour Light Requirements
Blue Shadow 60cm 40cm White Light Shade
Bright Light 60cm 35cm White Light Shade
Color Glory 120cm 60cm White Sun or Partial Shade
Fire and Ice 45cm 35cm Lavender Sun or Partial Shade
Flame Stitch 70cm 45cm Purple Sun or Partial Shade
Gold Standard 90cm 50cm Lavender Part day Sun
Golden Pavilion 90cm 45cm Whitish Partial Shade
Great Expectations 85cm 55cm Whitish Light Shade
Guacomole (Hosta of the Year 2002) 60cm 40cm White, fragrant Sun
Hoosier Harmony 100cm 60cm White fragrant Sun or Shade
Innis Wood 100cm 50cm Lavender Sun or Shade
June (Hosta of the Year 2001) 50cm 25cm Lavender Bright Light
Middle Ridge 70cm 40cm Lavender Sun or Shade
Midwest Magic 100cm 60cm Whitish Sun or Partial Shade
Morning Light 60cm 45cm Lilac Sun or Partial Shade
Paul's Glory (Hosta of the Year 1999) 65cm 45cm Whitish Part day Sun
September Sun 90cm 60cm White Sun
Striptease 90cm 50cm Pale Violet Part day Sun
Whirlwind 90cm 45cm Lavender Sun or Shade