Hostas, often referred to as the “Queens of the Shade Garden,” are the long-lived flowering plants of shade garden, and famous due to their large attractive foliage and low care requirements. The plants are valued for their variation in the size, form, and color of the foliage and also can effectively fit into any landscape. Hostas are perfect plants for any garden for the beginner or the expert horticulture because of their characteristics. Here in this article, you will find out more about hostas, where they come from, what kinds of hostas are there, how to take care of them, and what problems they may cause.
Origins and Botanical Background
Hostas native are found in northeast Asia, more specifically they can be found in Japan, China, and Korea. The plants were initially availed in Europe in the 18th century and later brought to North America where they have been adopted in so many gardens in the continent. Hosta species comes under the Asparagaceae family and there are more than 70 species recognized for this plant and thousands of cultivars have been created over the years.
Currently known scientifically as Crassula, the plant was formally classified under the now defunct Funkia genus; the plant is named in honor of the Austrian botanist Nicholas Thomas Host. Even though several gardeners continue to use funkias to refer to hostas, the term used scientifically is Hosta.
Varieties of Hostas Plant
What is most appealing about hostas is the numerous types of plants, which are available. There are so many types of hostas and their attributes vary with size from small plants that are only several inches high to large specimens reaching four feet in height and spreading even more. It also also enables them to be utilized innovatively within numerous garden areas including container gardens right through to large landscape gardens.
1. Miniature Hostas:
This miniature host that can be referred to as ‘Mouse Ears’ or ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is best suited for rock gardens, borders, or for growing in containers. This is because they are relatively small and hence can be placed in dark corners or as a complement to other plants.
2. Medium-sized Hostas:
There are many varieties in this category, some of which are ‘Francee’ and ‘Gold Standard’. These hostas will grow well either en masse or as solitary plants among other plants in a border.
3. Large Hostas:
The two specimens of large hostas the ‘Sum and Substance’ and ‘Empress Wu’ are capable of dominating the appearance of a garden. Due to their large size and exotic foliage, they should be grown in shaded gardens to draw attention.
4. Giant Hostas:
Some big species are ‘Blue Angel’ and ‘Komodo Dragon’. I would like to recommend these hostas for big gardens as only the size of the plants will justify the presence of these plants in the garden. They act as attractive single ornamental plants or as a background to lower-growing plants.
Hostas also come in a wide variety of foliage colors, green, blue, gold, and even variegated. ‘Halcyon’ and Blue Mouse Ears’, are traced to contain a waxy layer on their foliage leading to the blue colors. This, however, tends to fade once exposed to direct sunlight hence to be planted where they will not be exposed to direct sunlight on bare feet.
Growing Conditions and Care
Most hostas are very easy to cultivate thus this plant is a delight for everyone from beginners to experienced horticulturists. Fruits grow best in USDA hardiness of 3-9, that is they will be able to endure too cold temperatures during winter and hot temperatures during summer. Here are some essential tips for growing hostas:
1. Light Requirements
As mentioned above, common varieties of the hostas are shade-loving plants though they can easily be grown in areas that receive more light. Most of the varieties do well in partial to full shade, especially those hostas that are either blue or more so dark green; these can burn off if the conditions are too hot. Still, most yellow and gold hostas do fairly well with more sunlight, which seems to improve their color. An important factor to be kept in mind is that there is a need to find the correct match between the particular type of hosta and the amount of light it requires to grow properly.
2. Soil Preferences:
These plants require soil that has good drainage, optimal nutrient-holding capacity, and soil has a slight to moderate acidity. Organic matter added into the soil through composting or well-rotted manure benefits the soil through properties that improve structure and water holding capacity and nutrients. Hostas are not picky when it comes to the type of soil in which they are planted, however, they prefer moist but well-drained loam.
3. Watering:
Hostas need moisture to grow and it is important to ensure enough water especially when they are most active in spring and summer. As with most plants, they like well-drained but moist soil and do not like to be waterlogged. It is better to water the plant slightly and rarely to improve the development of root systems. The application of mulch around the plants can also boost soil moisture and prevent weeds from growing as these are other competitors for hostas for water and nutrients.
4. Fertilization:
Fertilizing hostas is relatively easy because the plant is relatively undemanding and possesses few requirements. It was explained that a slow-release fertilizer, which should be used in the middle of the spring when the leaves are forming, would provide for the proper nutrition in the course of the growing season. Otherwise, natural amendment that can be applied is compost or any well-decomposed manure that can be used to apply on the soil to enhance nutrients. One should also be careful in fertilizing since, by doing it more often, one may end up with a lot of foliage but few flowers.
Propagation and Division
One of the favorite methods of hostas propagation is division — this also aids in rejuvenation of the hosta plants that have become too crowded in their pots. Hostas should be divided during spring when the shoots grow or during the start of fall. In hosta division, one has to carefully uproot the entire plant and then carefully split the clumps with each one having a portion of roots and shoots. I recommend replanting the divisions at the same depth as the parent plant and ensuring you water them profusely to enable them to develop well.
Ideas of Creative Uses in Garden Design
Particularly, hostas are very useful in garden design due to their numerous varieties in size and color. Here are some creative ways to use hostas in your garden:
Ground Cover:
Any variety of hostas if not too large is ideal for ground cover; the foundation of any tree pathway or fence is concealed by a blanket of green.
Mixed Borders:
It can grow as a solitary plant or in combination with other large shade plants including ferns, astilbes, and hellebores. The foliage makes a nice antagonism to the subtle tones and finer details of these companion crops.
Containers:
Due to their easy growth characteristics, hostas can be grown in containers and this is perfect for those who have restricted space in the compound. Miniature and small hostas are ideal for pots and one can re-pot them along with other shade-loving plants for a good display.
Specimen Plants:
These large hosta varieties serve well in large containers in a tropical garden bed or shade garden. The tusks are very daring in foliage and can be used in a powerful way as highlights that can help call attention to a garden.
Conclusion
I have always thought that hostas are great plants in a garden since they provide interest year-round with their wonderful foliage and rather low maintenance needs. They can be used to hide an unattractive area, to form a ground cover and even to provide contrast within a mixed border as hostas are very reliable. Taking a bit of time to monitor their conditions and possible problems, these lovely plants will grace years and your gardens with their presence. The hostas will be appreciated by novice gardeners and professionals and remain one of the greatest hits of gardeners for many years.
