Gary's Hosta Picks

Hostas are popular shade garden plants and here are a few of my favorites today on Southern Gardening.

If you have shade in your Mississippi garden you can enjoy the wide range of leaf sizes, shapes, and colors.

‘Sum and Substance’ is a super-sized plant. The leaves open chartreuse and transition to a golden yellow. The plant can achieve a mature size of 30 inches tall by up to six feet wide with deeply veined leaves. It may take several years to reach its full size potential.

A hosta that will stand up to high summer heat is ‘Patriot’. Having irregular bright white margins on dark green leaves ‘Patriot’ will be a 15 inch by 36 inch wide plant. ‘Patriot’ emerges slower in the spring but the wait is worth it.

A good choice for containers is the hosta selection ‘Krossa Regal’. The foliage is upright instead of spreading which adds an architectural element. The vase-like growth habit allows splashes of color underneath from impatiens or spotted deadnettle.

But a special hosta I like is ‘One Man’s Treasure’. While the foliage looks good, it’s the stems that draw attention. The stems are covered with red and purple spots that give the impression of pubescence. This hosta is fantastic under planted with Australian Tree fern which has stems that match.

With so many hostas on the market you always want to choose truly outstanding selections. The one’s I have suggested will get you off to a good start. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.