How to grow Hosta

Hosta · Hosta plantaginea, plantain lily, funkia

A shade-loving perennial grown for its leaves, from blue-green to gold and variegated, with spikes of trumpet-shaped lavender or white flowers in summer. All parts are toxic to cats, dogs and horses.

Quick facts

Type	Flower
Family	Asparagaceae
Light	Partial shade
Soil pH	5.5–7.5
Frost	tolerates light frost
Soil for sowing	from 5 °C
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

It tolerates light frost: sow straight into the bed about three weeks before your last spring frost.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 7 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Best in partial shade or light shade with some morning sun; avoid hot afternoon sun. Yellow-leaved cultivars take more sun.

Soil

Fertile, moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter, slightly acid to neutral. It does not tolerate soggy soil, especially in winter.

Care

Plant or divide in early spring as the shoots emerge, or in autumn, with the crown at its original depth. Keep the soil moist, about 25 mm of water a week, watering the soil under the leaves. Mulch with compost each year; on poor soil add a general fertiliser in early spring. Protect from slugs and snails. Flower stalks can be cut once the flowers fade. Divide crowded clumps every four to five years.

Pests and diseases of Hosta

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.