Hostas or sweetheart lilies belong to the agave family. There are about 45 species, from which more than 4,000 hosta varieties have emerged. The most interesting breeds captivate with attractive flower colors and high-contrast leaf markings.
white flowers
Hostas develop flowers clustered in terminal inflorescences or loosely clustered. Their bracts, which are whitish in the original species, are striking. These surround bracts that are bell-shaped or tubular. White-flowered leaf ornamental perennials are particularly beautiful in a single position or as a transplant. Hosta from the Sieboldiana group are among the most popular and well-known hosta varieties in the garden. Originally from mountain forests, these hostas have proven to be particularly hardy.
Hosta plantaginea 'Aphrodite'
Source: Photo by David J. Stang, Hosta Aphrodite 1zz, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Special feature: flowers are funnel-shaped and filled
- Flowering period: between August and September
- Scent strength: pleasant floral scent of medium strength
- Leaf color: light green, glossy foliage
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Height of growth: about 30 to 60 centimeters high
Hosta plantaginea 'Double Up'
- Special feature: more compact than the original species with thicker leaves and larger flowers
- Flowering period: from August to September
- Perfume strength: strongly scented
- Leaf color: shiny green
- Location: Thrives in both sun and shade
- Height of growth: about 45 to 50 centimeters high
Hosta plantaginea 'Fragrant Flame'
- Special feature: heart-shaped foliage, wavy
- Flowering period: August to September
- Scent strength: sweet and intensely scented
- Leaf color: white center with green stripes
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Height of growth: up to 50 centimeters high
Hosta plantaginea 'Ming Treasure'
- Special feature: suitable for container planting
- Flowering period: August to September
- Scent strength: intense and beguiling scent
- Foliage color: glossy green with an irregular leaf edge tinged with yellow
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Height of growth: about 45 to 50 centimeters high
Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans'
Source: I, Epibase, Hosta sieboldiana Elegans2UME, Edited from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Special feature: develops noticeably large clumps
- Flowering period: from June to July
- Scent strength: hardly scented
- Leaf color: wrinkled leaves with a blue-green tint
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Height of growth: about 50 to 70 centimeters high
Hosta sieboldiana 'Snowflakes'
Source: Alpsdake, Hosta sieboldiana leaves, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Special feature: grows in compact clumps
- Flowering period: from June to July
- Scent strength: hardly scented
- Leaf color: uniformly medium green and lanceolate in shape
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Height of growth: up to 30 centimeters high
Violet flowers
Hostas with dark-colored flowers that have purple tones with blue or violet nuances are particularly rich in contrast. The hosta varieties are hardy and prove to be eye-catchers in different plantings. Varieties with purple flowers have been bred from various species. Undulata varieties are particularly popular because of their striking leaf shape.
Hosta plantaginea 'Emily Dickinson'
- Special feature: fits perfectly in the scented garden
- Flowering period: July to August
- Fragrance strength: smells aromatic
- Leaf color: initially green with a yellow leaf edge that later turns white
- Location: in both sunny and shady locations
- Height of growth: 35 to 40 centimeters high
Hosta tokudama 'Brim Cup'
- Special feature: high-contrast variety with spoon-shaped leaves
- Flowering period: June to July
- Scent strength: subtle and restrained scent
- Leaf color: green center, fading irregularly to white to cream
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Height of growth: about 30 to 50 centimeters high
Hosta fortunei 'Mediovariegata'
Source: Photo by David J. Stang, Hosta undulata Mediovariegata 0zz, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Special feature: Leaves appear twisted around their own axis
- Flowering period: June to July
- Fragrance strength: light fragrance
- Leaf color: green and white striped
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Height of growth: about 30 to 60 centimeters high
Hosta fortunei 'Univittata'
- Special feature: tip of leaf slightly twisted, playful character
- Flowering period: from June to July
- Scent strength: hardly scented
- Leaf color: linear white leaf center with a broad green leaf edge
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Height of growth: about 25 to 50 centimeters high
Hosta ventricosa
Source: Jelonowitz, Funkia rozdęta, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Special feature: Original species with robust characteristics and striking inflorescences
- Flowering period: July to August
- Scent strength: hardly scented
- Leaf color: solid dark green
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Growth height: about 40 to 90 centimeters
Lavender colored flowers
Hostas, whose flowers are light pink in color, are suitable for planting at the edges of trees. They create a subtle eye-catcher and have a harmonious effect in combination with the predominantly variegated leaves. Within the lavender-colored species, numerous hosta cultivars come from the Plantaginea group. They have been cultivated in Europe and the USA for more than 100 years and have proven to be hardy.
Hosta plantaginea 'Flower Power'
- Special feature: stiff and upright foliage with raised veins
- Flowering time: from mid-July
- Fragrance strength: lightly scented
- Leaf color: grey-green
- Location: both in the sun and in the shade
- Growth height: about 60 to 65 centimeters
Hosta plantaginea 'Mistress Mabel'
- Special feature: strikingly large flowers
- Flowering time: from August
- Fragrance strength: lightly scented
- Leaf color: green leaf center with a narrow margin, colored white
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Height of growth: about 45 to 50 centimeters high
Hosta plantaginea 'Summer Fragrance'
- Special feature: requires a lot of heat to form flowers
- Flowering period: August to September
- Fragrance strength: lightly scented
- Leaf color: light green center with a creamy white border
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Height of growth: about 50 to 60 centimeters high
Hosta tardiana 'Remember me'
Source: Photo by David J. Stang, Hosta Remember Me 1zz, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Special feature: particularly noticeable due to the high proportion of white in the foliage
- Flowering period: July to August
- Scent strength: hardly scented
- Leaf color: yellowish-white center with green leaf margin
- Location: Sun or shaded areas, also in semi-shade
- Height of growth: about 25 to 30 centimeters high