General Hosta Information

Hostas have become extremely popular as superb perennials for the shade garden. They provide long-lasting beauty from May to frost and are hardy, long-lived, and almost trouble-free. Hostas are grown primarily for their foliage, with a great variety of colors, patterns, shapes, sizes, and textures. They range in size from tiny 2-3" border plants to striking large-leafed varieties that form dramatic clumps reaching over 3' in both height and diameter. Some are sun-tolerant. Although mostly regarded as a foliage plant, hostas also have white, lavender, or purple flowers, some of which are fragrant. (Hummingbirds especially like the purple ones!) Some newer varieties feature red petioles, adding further interest in the garden.

In addition to the hosta listed below, many other varieties (over 500 total) are on display at the garden; some are available for sale in limited quantity to garden visitors. Please inquire if you are looking for a particular variety; we may have it in quantities too small to list here. Prices quoted are for freshly dug, bare-root 1-3 eye divisions, depending on the variety. For your convenience, some varieties are also available in pots for pickup at the garden only. The potted hosta have well established root systems and can be transplanted at any time with very minimal shock to the plants. Please add 50 cents per plant for potted hosta.

2003 American Hosta Society Popularity Poll

Every year AHS members vote for their favorite hostas among the hundreds of varieties they grow or have seen in other gardens. Many of the fine plants selected year after year by these experienced growers are older "classics" which are surprisingly inexpensive. If you are just starting a hosta collection, you can't go wrong with any of these. How many of these outstanding cultivars do you grow?