Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By DAN ORI
Dan has over 27 years’ under his belt caring for plants and gardens. Working as a Horticultural Instructor and Consultant, he draws on a diverse range of experience that includes working as a Head Gardener, Tree Surgeon, Garden Centre Trouble Shooter, and writer of academic papers. Dan has a Level 3 Diploma in Horticulture and is currently a candidate for the RHS’s most prestigious award – The Master of Horticulture.
Contributions From JOHN PLANT
With 50 years of experience in the landscaping business, John has been growing and selling hostas for 15 years and is the owner of specialist nursery Rewela Hostas. Based in Yorkshire, he has his own YouTube channel where he shares plant care and growing tips.
An RHS gold-medalist, recently winning two golds at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2021 and 2022, Ollie is the Nursery Manager at Sienna Hostas. Ollie is also a member of The British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society.
Owner of plant nursery North Staffordshire Hostas, Robert is also a member of The British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society and is one of their featured suppliers. Robert is also a member of the Plant Heritage Society and has his own national collection of hostas that is available to the public to view with pre-booked appointments.
Barry is the membership secretary from the American Hosta Society. He is a retired owner of a specialist hosta nursery based in Illinois with over 40 years of growing experience.
IN THIS GUIDE
- Expert Picks
- 1) Hosta ‘Allan P. McConnell’
- 2) H. ‘Captain Kirk’
- 3) H. ‘Cathedral Windows’
- 4) H. ‘Devon Green’
- 5) H. ‘Fireworks’
- 6) H. ‘Forbidden Fruit’
- 7) H. ‘Fragrant Bouquet’
- 8) H. ‘Guacamole’
- 9) H. ‘Gypsy Rose’
- 10) H. ‘Hadspen Blue’
- 11) H. ‘Niagara Falls’
- 12) H. ‘Night Before Christmas’
- 13) H. ‘Patriot’
- 14) H. ‘Regal Splendor’
- 15) H. ‘Sum And Substance’
- 16) H. ‘Summer Music’
- 17) H. ‘Victory’
- 18) H. ‘War Paint’
- 19) H. ‘Wide Brim’
- 20) H. ‘Yellow River’
- Other Notable Varieties
Hostas can be excellent choices, often ideal for the shady spots in your garden you might otherwise fail to fill.
They come in different colours, shapes and sizes, with cultivars too numerous to possibly give a complete list.
However if you are looking for an interesting hosta for your garden, you might find the right one for you in my list of highly regarded options below.
Expert Picks
Before we get to my favourites, I asked some expert hosta plant nurseries about their favourite hosta varieties.
“There are so many varieties, it is difficult to pick a favourite!” says John Plant, the Owner of Rewela Hostas.
“I love Hostas ‘Hudson Bay’ because of the colour of the foliage and its size, but it is slow-growing.
“Good standard varieties like Hosta ‘Liberty’ are up there with varieties like Hosta ‘June’, as they are always reliable, great to look at and easy to grow.”
Ollie Walker, the Nursery Manager at Sienna Hosta, also finds choosing one favourite a challenge:
“At the nursery, we all have our favourites and these change every year as we collect more new and exciting varieties.
“Hosta ‘First Blush’ has to be mentioned, as this variety has a stunning red colour up the stem and through the leaf and is a very interesting new hosta.
“Another variety that is worth a mention is ‘Amalia’, as this large variety has bright yellow leaves and a wonderful green rippled pie crust margin.”
Barry Ankney, from the American Hosta Society, previously owned a specialist hosta nursery and shared an extensive list of his favourites:
‘Autumn Frost’
“This variety emerges in spring with powder blue leaves and bright yellow margins,” he says.
“The margin of the leaf gradually fades to white during the season.
“This is a truly magnificent hosta and striking specimen plant that holds its colouration well into the autumn.”
‘Rainforest Sunrise’
“The leaves of this cultivar are solid green when they emerge, then quickly develop dramatic dark green borders and radiant gold centres,” shares Barry.
“The thick slug-resistant leaves are heavily corrugated and cupped.”
‘June’
“This hosta is consistently number one in the popularity polls and for good reason; it’s a must-have.
“It forms a perfect mound of gold leaves with a wide blue-green margin.
“There is a third lighter green colour between the margin and centre of the leaf that often streaks to the midrib.”
‘Sagae’
“Spectacular large blue-green leaves with variations of creamy white on the margins make this hosta stand out in any garden setting,” says Barry.
“The leaves are frosty blue in spring with a feathered yellow margin, whilst grey-green streaks are painted in the area between the centre and the margin.”
Believe it or not, that’s not all.
“We have over 550 varieties of hosta in our collection, and all have their own unique qualities,” shares Robert Barlow, from North Staffordshire Hostas.
Some of his favourite varieties include:
Miniature
- ‘Lime Fizz’
- ‘Hydon Sunset’
- ‘Blue Mouse Ears’
Small to Medium
- ‘Toy Soldier’
- ‘Hands Up’
Large
- ‘Patriot’
- ‘Sagae’
- ‘Dream Queen’
Giant
- ‘Krossa Regal’
- ‘Empress Wu’
- ‘Sum & Substance’
See our list of hostas below – we believe each to be a great place to start if you’re looking to grow a variety in your garden here in the UK.
1) Hosta ‘Allan P. McConnell’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Allan P. McConnell’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: white and green
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
Producing a mound of deep green ovoid leaves 8cm in length, each one with narrow white margins, this option also has bell-shaped purple flowers which are produced on stems around 40cm tall in mid to late summer.
2) H. ‘Captain Kirk’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Captain Kirk’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green and yellow
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
This clump-forming deciduous perennial grows to around 50cm in height.
The leaves are broadly ovoid with ribs and are lightly puckered.
The foliage is deep green and each leaf has a vivid yellowy-green splash across the centre.
Pale purple flowers grow on upright stems in the summer months.
3) H. ‘Cathedral Windows’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Cathedral Windows’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green and yellow
- FLOWERS: white
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
Looking almost like stained glass, the leaves of this hosta are rounded and ribbed, with interesting variegation.
The leaves have wide deep to mid-green margins and central splashes of greenish yellow.
The flowers, which are fragrant, are white.
These are held above the foliage on erect stems in the summer months.
4) H. ‘Devon Green’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Devon Green’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
Growing around 50cm tall and 60cm wide, this hosta has shiny dark green leaves which are around 15cm long with fairly prominent ribbing.
These plants are largely grown for their foliage but also have attractive little tubular flowers in late summer and early autumn.
These are a pale purple hue, with darker stripes on them.
5) H. ‘Fireworks’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Fireworks’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: white and green
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
This little hosta needs plenty of light – though no hot sun – and regular feeding to perform at its best.
It has twisty leaves which are mostly white or creamy green, with dark green edging.
Though it can be happy in a container, it should not be restricted to ones that are overly small.
The flowers, which appear in July, are pale lavender hue.
6) H. ‘Forbidden Fruit’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Forbidden Fruit’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green and yellow
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
Another hosta with variegated leaves, this option can potentially grow up to 1m tall and wide.
It has broad leaves which are yellow to pale orange in the centres and dark green to blue around the outsides.
The flowers are lavender in hue and borne on the upright stems above the foliage in the summer.
7) H. ‘Fragrant Bouquet’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Fragrant Bouquet’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green and cream
- FLOWERS: white
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
This clump-forming perennial grows to around 45cm tall.
It has leaves which are broad, oval and slightly twisted; each one bright green with a creamy margin and deeply set veins.
As the name of this cultivar suggests, the flowers are borne in loose clusters.
They bloom in summer on upright stems that can reach almost 1m in height, are pale purple in colour and are fragrant too.
8) H. ‘Guacamole’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Guacamole’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: yellow and green
- FLOWERS: purple and white
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
A small to medium-sized hosta, this option has large golden yellow to light green leaves which are large, puckered and have somewhat darker edges.
Above these mounds of leaves, fragrant white to lavender flowers are produced over the summer months.
“I think ‘Guacamole’ is a great choice for a tall container near a doorway, as you can enjoy the flowers and their scent,” shares Dan Ori, a Horticultural Consultant.
9) H. ‘Gypsy Rose’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Gypsy Rose’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green, yellow and white
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
Growing to around 40cm tall, this hosta has broad, rounded, dark green leaves, each of which has a broad streak of pale yellow at the centre, with some thin flashes of white at the centre.
Purple flowers are also produced on these plants on upright stems in summer.
10) H. ‘Hadspen Blue’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Hadspen Blue’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: greeny-blue
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
The leaves on this impressive hosta have a distinctive silvery-blue sheen.
They are thick and markedly textured, more or less heart-shaped in form.
This is a small and slow-growing hosta which forms clumps around 25cm high.
The bell-shaped purple flowers are definitely not the stars of the show for this foliage plant, but these bloom on erect stems in the summer.
11) H. ‘Niagara Falls’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Niagara Falls’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
This hosta grows around 1m across and 0.5m in height.
Its heart-shaped leaves are green and have deep ribs running down them.
They also have distinctive wavy edges, creating the waterfall effect, and tips that turn downwards at the ends.
Loose clusters of pale purple flowers are produced on leaning, leafy stems in the summer.
Another H7 hardy cultivar.
12) H. ‘Night Before Christmas’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Night before Christmas’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green and white
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
Growing to around 45cm high, this hosta has ovate leaves which are tapered towards the ends.
These leaves are deep green, with a narrow creamy streak down the centre of each one.
The stems are white-streaked too.
The flowers, pale purple, cannot live up to the foliage but are pretty nonetheless, held on the upright stems in summer.
13) H. ‘Patriot’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Patriot’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green and cream
- FLOWERS: blue and purple
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
Clump-forming and perennial, this cultivar grows to around half a metre tall.
The ovate leaves are puckered and ribbed, with irregular cream margins and mid-green centres.
The foliage will remain through spring, summer and autumn, and in summer, the plants will also boast their spikes of funnel-shaped flowers, which are a lavender blue hue.
14) H. ‘Regal Splendor’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Regal Splendor’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green, silver, green and cream
- FLOWERS: purple and pink
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
This hosta is large and dramatic, with deeply ridged deep blue-green leaves which have narrow margins around the edges of a creamy yellow hue.
The edges become more creamy and lighter as the leaves mature.
The bell-shaped flowers form above the leaves in the late summer and they are a pale lavender pink in colour.
15) H. ‘Sum And Substance’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Sum and Substance’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green and yellow
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
Heart-shaped leaves of a bright, vivid, yellowy-green colour set this hosta apart from many others.
The large leaves stand out in partial shade.
The foliage of this plant is definitely the main attraction, but the bell-shaped flowers also add interest, growing on stems 75cm long in the summertime.
16) H. ‘Summer Music’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Summer Music’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green, cream, yellow and white
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
Another hosta with leaves that stand out very well in lower light areas, ‘Summer Music’ has leaves that are light green on the sides with central markings that start out pale green and change to a purer white as the leaves mature.
Some leaves also have streaking along the sides of this central area in pale green or gold.
Lavender flowers bloom in loose clusters on upright stems in the summer.
17) H. ‘Victory’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Victory’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green, silver and green
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 1-1.5m in height, 1-1.5m spread
The large heart-shaped leaves on this herbaceous perennial are a glossy greyish-green, with deeply incised veins and pale yellow variegation along the edges.
The flowers are a very pale purple and these are produced on tall stems that can reach up to 1.5m in height.
The plant can also spread to around 1.5m over time.
18) H. ‘War Paint’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘War Paint’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: cream and green
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 1-1.5m spread
This hosta can grow to around 90cm tall, with a spread of 1-1.5m.
Its heart-shaped leaves are rippled along the edges, with irregular variegation while the leaves are young.
The centres of the young leaves can be cream to pale green and the margins are a deeper green, but this central area darkens as the leaves grow and by the middle of summer, the leaves are typically solid green.
Lavender flowers are borne on upright stems in the summer.
19) H. ‘Wide Brim’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Wide Brim’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green and yellow
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
The leaves of this hosta are broadly heart-shaped and dark greeny-blue but with broad margins of creamy yellow around the outside of each leaf.
Stems around 60cm tall bear funnel-shaped flowers with a lavender hue in the summer months.
20) H. ‘Yellow River’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Yellow River’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green, cream and yellow
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
This hosta has large green heart-shaped leaves enlivened by ridging and creamy yellow margins which are slightly ruffled along the sides.
The bell-shaped flowers bloom in summer on thin, upright stems above the interesting foliage.
Of course, I couldn’t possibly list all the great hostas that you might grow in just one article.
However, all of the highly regarded hostas listed above could be great options for your garden.
Other Notable Varieties
H. ‘Devon Blue’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Devon Blue’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: silver, blue, green and grey
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
H. ‘Invincible’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Invincible’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green
- FLOWERS: purple and white
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread
H. hypoleuca
- COMMON NAME(S): white-backed hosta
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 1-1.5m spread
H. ‘Paul’s Glory’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Paul’s Glory’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: blue, cream, green, yellow
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
Hosta sieboldiana var. sieboldiana
- COMMON NAME(S): giant blue hosta
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green
- FLOWERS: white
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
H. ‘Abba Dabba Do’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Abba Dabba Do’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green and gold
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 1-1.5m spread
H. ‘Golden Sunburst’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Golden Sunburst’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green
- FLOWERS: white
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
H. ‘Midwest Magic’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Midwest Magic’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
H. ‘Antioch’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Antioch’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green, cream and white
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.1-0.5m in height, 0.5-1m spread
H. fortunei var. aureomarginata
- COMMON NAME(S): gold-edged plantain lily
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green and yellow
- FLOWERS: purple
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 0.5-1m spread
H. ‘Helen Doriot’
- COMMON NAME(S): plantain lily ‘Helen Doriot’
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FOLIAGE COLOURS: green
- FLOWERS: white
- SIZE: 0.5-1m in height, 1-1.5m spread
