At a glance
- Hostas are the queens of shade: with their large clumps of leaves they bring structure to spots where little else thrives.
- They want part shade to shade, with humus-rich, evenly moist soil. In blazing sun the leaves scorch.
- Their one big enemy is the slug. The best defence is the choice of variety.
- Thick-leaved, blue varieties are barely eaten, thin-leaved green and variegated ones heavily.
- Once established, hostas are extremely easy and get more beautiful over many years.
Hardly any plant solves the shade problem as elegantly as the hosta. Where other perennials grow leggy or do not grow at all, it unfolds lush clumps of leaves in green, blue, yellow and white-green. It is easy, long-lived and needs little attention. There is just one catch, and it is called the slug. Get that one point under control and you have, in the hosta, one of the most rewarding plants for the part-shaded garden.
Spot: shade, moisture, humus
Hostas are happiest in part shade and shade, for instance under shrubs, on the north side or in the light shade of larger perennials. They cope poorly with full midday sun, when the leaf edges scorch and the leaves look tired. Some green and yellow-leaved varieties handle a little more sun if the soil stays moist, but the basic rule is: the bluer the foliage, the shadier the spot.
The soil should be humus-rich, deep and evenly moist. Hostas dislike drought; their large leaves transpire a lot of water. Plenty of compost at planting and a mulch layer keep the moisture in the soil.
Hosta
- Familie
- Asparagus family
- Standort
- Part shade to shade, humus-rich and moist
- Saison
- Plant and divide CW 12 to 18, foliage until frost
- Wasserbedarf
- Evenly moist, dislikes drought
- Frosthärte
- Fully hardy, dies back in winter
The slug problem
There is no point tiptoeing around the elephant in the room: slugs love hostas. Especially the tender, thin-leaved varieties are riddled overnight. The most effective and most relaxed protection is therefore not a product but the right choice of variety. Thick-leaved, blue hostas with a firm, waxy leaf surface are simply too tough for slugs and stay largely untouched.
Choose robust varieties
Go for thick-leaved, blue hostas. This is the most effective and lasting slug protection, because it needs no work at all.
Watch out in spring
The freshly emerging shoots in spring are the most at risk. During this time, pick off slugs in the evening and after rain, then the plant gets going well.
Use barriers
A ring of sheep wool pellets, sawdust or sharp grit around the plant holds slugs off. In a pot, slug collars work reliably.
Encourage beneficials
Hedgehogs, toads, ground beetles and birds eat slugs. A natural garden with hiding places keeps the population in check by itself.
The relaxed solution
If slugs annoy you, do not fight against the wrong variety. Plant thick-leaved, blue hostas, and the problem almost solves itself. This one decision saves you years of picking off slugs.
Varieties: the leaf is everything
With hostas it is not about the flower but the foliage. There are hundreds of varieties, from tiny to huge, in all shades of green, blue-frosted, golden-yellow or with white and cream edges.
A garden made of leaf colours alone
You can design a whole shade bed with hostas alone and still get variety: the deep blue of one beside the golden yellow of another, plus the white edges of the variegated sorts.
Combined with ferns, astilbes and barrenwort, a calm, green shade garden emerges that stays beautiful all summer.
Hosta types for the shade garden
- Blue, thick-leaved
Varieties like 'Elegans' or 'Halcyon' with a firm, blue-frosted leaf surface. Slug-proof and elegant.
- Large specimens
Giant hostas grow over a metre wide and set a calm focal point as a single plant.
- Variegated
White- or yellow-edged varieties bring light into dark corners, but are often thinner-leaved and more slug-prone.
- Dwarf hostas
Small varieties for pots, bed edgings and the foreground, where you can easily protect them from slugs.
Dividing and propagating
Over the years hostas become sizeable clumps and are most easily propagated by division. The best time is early spring, when the shoot tips are just peeking from the ground. Lift the clump or split it with the spade into several pieces, each with a few growing points, and replant the pieces with compost. That renews old plants and gives you a supply for more corners or to give away.
The flower
In summer hostas push up flower stems with funnel-shaped, often lavender or white flowers, which in some varieties are pleasantly fragrant and draw bumblebees. For the plant's effect the flower is secondary; some gardeners even cut the stems off to keep the energy in the foliage. That is a matter of taste, the flower does no harm.
Enter the spring division and the early slug check in your garden journal. Then your hosta gets a clean start every year and becomes, over time, one of the calmest and most beautiful points in the shade garden.
Common questions about hostas
How do I protect hostas from slugs?
Most effectively through variety choice: thick-leaved, blue hostas are barely eaten. In addition, pick off slugs in spring, use barriers of grit or sheep wool and encourage beneficials like hedgehogs and toads.
What spot is right for hostas?
Part shade to shade with humus-rich, evenly moist soil. The foliage copes poorly with full midday sun. The bluer the variety, the shadier the spot should be; yellow-leaved ones take a little more light.
Why do my hostas get brown leaf edges?
Usually from drought or too much sun. Hostas transpire a lot of water through their large leaves. Provide a shadier spot, even moisture and a mulch layer that keeps the soil moist.
When and how do I divide hostas?
In early spring, when the shoot tips are just appearing. Lift the clump or split it with the spade into pieces with several growing points and replant with compost. That renews the plant and provides new specimens.
Are hostas hardy?
Yes, fully hardy. They die back completely in autumn and re-sprout reliably in spring. They need no special winter protection in the bed.
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