Which Hostas are good for beginners?

11 years ago

Almost all hostas are very easy for beginners to grow. There are many different color variations and sizes that are readily available at most local nurseries and on-line vendors.

For someone just starting out, the recommendation is mostly medium sized hostas, with a few smaller varieties and maybe one medium large if you have a bit of extra room. Too many of the minis are a bit touchier to grow initially, harder to find, and more expensive. The really large ones simply get too big for most newcomers--very few people realize how truly massive a Sum & Substance will be at maturity until they have seem one, and they are very unlikely to have the garden space to accomodate a plant that large until they have grown hostas for a few years and really caught the "fever". The average new hosta person has a shady border area between 2 to 3 feet wide, and needs to plan accordingly. As they get more involved they can dig up vast areas of their lawn and put that space to better use by filling it with hostas.

For specific plants the recommendation is the following based on reliable growth, easy of care (or tolerance of neglect), low initial cost, and wide availability. Golden Tiara, (or any of the other Tiaras), Gold Edger, Gold Drop, Pacific Blue Edger, Halcyon, fortunei Albo Picto, fortunei Aureo Marginata (often labeled simply as Gold Edge hosta), Golden Sceptor, Antioch, Moerheim, Green Gold, Honeybells, Royal Standard, Lancifolia, Minuteman, Patriot, Plantaginea, Krossa Regal, Sieboldiana Elegans, Shade Fanfare, Gold Standard, Crowned Imperial (the reverse of Gold Standard and a terrific plant), So Sweet, Undulatas of all types, Wide Brim, Striptease, Fried Bananas, Guacamole, Revolution, Ground Master, Allen P. McConnell, Abby, Ventricosa in all it's varieties, Candy Hearts, and August Moon.

All these are widely available, and any 5 or 10 selected from the list will make a fine collection. Simply pick the ones that appeal to you.

For those who find themselves immediately smitten with hostas, several additional recommendations follow. These are all fairly easy to find, slightly more expensive but still not outrageous, and all grow very well in a wide range of conditions. Some of them are also quite large or are minis, but all will grow well without special care.
Tambourine, Polar Moon, Blue Angel, Blue Arrow, Blue Umbrella, Christmas Tree, Green Piecrust, Grey Piecrust, Fair Maiden, Little Aurora, Fragrant Bouquet, Fragrant Blue, Fragrant Gold, Geisha, Gold Regal, Regal Splendor, Sagae, Grand Master, Green Fountain, Inniswood, June, Stiletto, Invincible, Lemon Lime, Love Pat, Mildred Seaver, Montana Aureomarginata, Night Before Christmas, Nigrescens, Paul's Glory, Pineapple Poll, Pearl Lake, Blue Cadet, Sea Lotus Leaf, Spilt Milk, Sugar & Cream, Sum & Substance, Venusta, Yellow River, and Wolverine.

As you can see, the new hosta fancier can amass quite a large collection simply by getting reliable, easy to locate, moderately priced varieties. Once you have grown hostas for a few years, then you can decide whether or not you want to try some of the ones that take a bit more effort to grow well, or are new and therefore expensive and more difficult to find.

(Contributed by dhaven on the Hosta Forum)

Comment

Related Discussions
Good tree for a beginner in zone 10
Q
Comments (3)
Well, if you want shade, the power line has to move. Double check with the power co. about how far their right-of-way extends - around here, it's 15' in all directions around the wires - they have the right to trim back or cut down any vegetation that is or that might (they trim back line ROWs every couple of years, so can get pretty pro-active) infringe into the ROW. There are some majorly BUTCHERED trees along the power lines!! For shade, for the house, you need a tree that grows at least 20' tall, maybe 15', but taller is better - you don't want to plant any tree closer to your house than 6-8', and 10-12' is better. Planting a tree too close to the house can lead to problems with roots, with branches rubbing and with mold and mildew on the house siding. If you want to shade a patio, you can plant right on the edge of the patio, but still need to pay attention to the distance from buildings. Since trees usually grow about one third to half as wide as they grow tall, you need to allow for the width. There are trees that are columnar, taller than they are wide - a number of various species and widths. Columnar trees don't cast as much shade, however. Some trees do grow wider than they are tall, but most conform to the above. As trees grow, you can trim off lower limbs to allow for walking under them, etc. I think you need to get more info from the power company, and then figure how much room you will actually have for a tree to grow in. Planning to have to trim a tree annually, to keep it in the shape it HAS to stay in, is foolish - it's much better to find a tree that grows to the size and shape you want it to have without needing expensive - and usually unattractive - trimmings. When you have more idea of the space you can "fill up" with a tree - then you can get better advice from here. In the mean time, go to local parks, the zoo, an arboretum, etc., ask around, and see what trees, what shape of tree and what height, you like and that appeals to you. Also, get a couple of books (try the library), and see what appeals to you there. Go to local nurseries, and see what is available - just be aware that the "mature height" listed on the hang-tag may in fact be only the height it will grow to in 10 years, not the tallest it can grow to. It may be that whatever tree you REALLY like won't do in your situation, but having a starting point will help.
...See More
What are some good beginner plants for a carnivorous plant [cp] terra
Q
Comments (0)
Probably the easiest are those that do not require any kind of a dormancy [or rest] period. Ones which instead like warm moist conditions all year round. Drosera [sundews]: some good candidates: D. capensis, & D. spathulata lowland Nepenthes: such as N. gracilis, N. ventricosa, N.ampullaria ***be forewarned that pretty much all the neps will at some point outgrow a small terr [15 gal or less] - and most rather quickly [w/in a year or two]. Pinguiculas [butterworts]: ex. P. primaflora Sarracenia [terrestrial pitcher plants] ***same problem as w/ neps Utricularia
...See More
What are some good beginner plants for a houseplant terrarium?
Q
Comments (0)
This does depend on a number of things, not the least of which are variables like the size of your terr, the conditions you will be able to provide, and the "look" you want. Many folks, not surprisingly, want at least a few plants that will bloom. Keep in mind that such plants often will need quite a bit of light. From the foliage aspect, there are a number of neat plants that can provide you with different textures/looks. A few plant examples: African violets [note: while growing AV's in a terr is almost effortless, some people do find it difficult to get them to bloom] small "northern pines" are slow growers small variegated ivy baby tears Ferns
...See More
First time to be able to grow Hostas, need beginners help
Q
Comments (12)
They like to stay moist. If you put them in much sun, they need to be watered daily when it gets hot. They are more drought tolerant in the ground. One that has done particularly well for me is Squash Casserole. It was new last year and takes a good deal of sun, so did Cathedral Windows, though it burned before Squash Casserole. The edges will burn when they can't take up water as fast as they expire it. Some will take almost no sun. I fried a couple last year, as my neighbor took out a huge old elm tree and I lost a lot of shade. (Don't increase the amount of sun during the summer, as they need to acclimate as they come up.) Santa, in the first photo, the solid green one, second one back is one I've had for 20 years or so. It's a noid. It's probably some variation of hyacinthia, but who knows? I have a u. albomarginata and another noid that is the same color as Blue Angel. I'll post them for you later. bk Squash Casserole, but be aware this one gets really big. (It doesn't show on this photo, but the color of the flowers is exactly the perfect contrast. It must be straight across the color wheel or something like that. Even my color blind DH noticed it.)
...See More

Which Hostas are good for beginners?

Comment

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US