14

Sun Tolerant Hostas

Is there such a thing as sun tolerant Hostas? Find out which varieties fare better in sunny areas and those to avoid plus growing tips for “sun” Hostas. I have also written about how to use hostas in a perennial bed border.

How many times have you been on a garden tour and have seen a Hosta variety that you remember for days?  It is what makes avid gardeners take their pencil and paper along to these outings and write down all the names of the excellent varieties they want to add to their own flower beds. However it can be difficult to duplicate the planting conditions and sun exposure.

Many times each year someone that visits our home will ask me about “Sun Hostas” and mention they have heard or read there were some new Hostas that were good to plant in the sun.

I always tell them, no, there are no “Sun Hostas” but that some of the varieties are able to stand more sun than others. The person asking always seems disappointed when I tell them that there are no specific Hosta varieties bred to consider it a plant for full sun.

I too would love to purchase a Hosta that would thrive in the hot sun in the south west corner of a building!

Hosta Varieties that Fare better in Sunny Areas

Not all is lost though, as many of the heavy rugose leaved Hostas will withstand more sun than others. Varieties that are better suited for hot sun places are Halcyon, August Moon, Sum & Substance, Sun Power and ones like Big Daddy with large corrugated leaves. Also, June, Touch of Class, Gold Regal, King Tut, Lady Isobel Barnett, Krossa Regal, Paradigm, Elaitor, Nigrescens, Komodo Dragon, Montana, (the species all green variety) and Bressingham Blue.

Mostly you have to try it in your setting and soil to see how things work.  If there isn’t any afternoon shade, then probably plant something different in that spot or use some man-made shade.

Varieties of Sun Tolerant Hostas

There may be more, but these I have in my gardens and so can say they are quite sun tolerant.

  • Halcyon
  • August Moon
  • Sum & Substance
  • September Sun
  • Sun Power
  • Big Daddy
  • June
  • Touch of Class
  • Gold Regal
  • King Tut
  • Lady Isobel Barnett
  • Paradigm
  • Elaitor
  • Nigrescens
  • Montana (all green species)
  • Bressingham Blue
  • Krossa Regal

Characteristics to look for:

  • Thicker leaf texture – the thicker the better
  • Corrugated leaves
  • Look for larger varieties with more root mass to absorb more water

What you Give Up:

  • Will possibly lose their dark bluish coloring
  • May have sunburn around edges of leaves
  • May also have sunburn holes in the middle of the leaves
  • May lose their glaucus bloom (powder coating) in the leaves
  • May lose their bluish color

I  had for years Halcyon planted in probably 85% full sun, hot west sun in the afternoon, and they survived just fine each year.  They would burn some, but not bad for all that sun. (These were out in the open, not next to a cement walk or foundation that generates temperatures 10 to 15 degrees hotter.)

They however, did not retain their nice bluish color in that full sun.  I wanted them for a mass planting and didn’t care that they weren’t as blue as Halcyon should be, but wanted them more for their floral display in August! En masse, Halcyon can be one of the better floral displays for Hostas.

Hosta Varieties to Avoid in Sunny Areas

Any Hosta with a thin leaf texture (the ones the slugs like best) either greens or golds or variegated, will not take a lot of sun, and will burn in too much sun.  However, if they are in too deep shade, that is not good either as they do need some light to grow well.

What to Avoid:

  • Thin leaf texture
  • Green or Gold Variegated Leaves

I have found that water and soil is the tweekable items to getting Hostas to be able to withstand more sunlight.  This is what all the books say, and what all the speakers say, is that they need at least an inch of water per week to maintain healthy plants.

The leaves are so large and water evaporates so fast from them that they need to receive much extra water.  Not just a cup or two when you think of it, but even lots more water when the temperature gets over that 90 degree mark.

And, when the clumps get over 5 years old, the roots are fighting for all the soil and water they can as they get so root bound.

Planting Tips for Growing Hostas in Sun

  • Give them plenty of water  (soak older root bound plants)  Put the hose on the root ball area of the plant and let it run slowly for 5 or 10 minutes.
  • Good quality soil  (lots of compost please!)
  • Man-Made Shade

Many years I have a tendency to believe the weather man saying it is going to rain the next day and so won’t go through the work of watering the ones I know need extra water, and then the rain will go around us, and then a day or two will go by without the extra moisture they need.  This is when Hostas start to deteriorate.  I have seen amazing things happen and the plant comes back to life when they are given plenty of water on time when they need it.

Soil is the second thing that plants need almost more than moisture, as with good soil filled with compost, retains water readily.

We did some house renovation on our house in the past few years,  and in replanting two beds, we had to purchase “black dirt” to fill in for the beds next to the house.

I was beside myself with joy when I planted the new beds and in each hole I dug, I put a half pail of compost and then filled in with the new loose soil!  It was such a hot dry summer, and all the older beds were hard clay and plants in them, couldn’t be persuaded to be moved, and this was the first time I had ever had a new bed with new soi

I had amended soil in the old beds, but it never was like planting in nice loose soil.  It was just like gardening programs on television!  I could see after about a month, into August, that the Hostas were starting to take hold and really did well, even with the hot weather continuing.  I watered them all at least once each week, some of the miniatures and smaller varieties more often, even every day.

(I use a pail of water and an 8 oz. plastic glass and pour a small amount on the little ones, and then go back again.  If the temperature is at 90 or above, the water evaporates very quickly.)

You can also use man-made shade too, with trellises or vintage gates set in the garden, with vines making the shade needed for a hosta.  Pergolas too, add much interest and focus on the gardens, as well as the shade again.

One Last Tip

One of the best ways to tell if a specific Hosta variety fares well in sun is to go to your local nursery in August and look at the Hostas. Check the leaves closely and see which varieties do not have burnt leaves. You can also do this while on a garden tour or when visiting friends.

Make sure that the ones you are looking at have actually been in the hot sun and are out of protected elements.

Judi
 

Hello, my name is Judi Ruedy and I have been a Master Gardener Volunteer for about 20 years and have been involved in a local garden club since 1975. My love for Hostas started a long time ago before I knew anything about growing anything, and Hostas were not in vogue. I created this website specifically for zone 4 Northern gardeners that need help finding perennials specific to their growing area. So much information out there on the web doesn’t apply to our colder growing climate, so I thought I would share my own findings here on this site.

  • Mystic Gardener says:

    Very good information about hosta that do well (better) in the sun and Execellent information on the care and planting of Hosta..
    Very good information all round.
    Dianne…

  • Becky Groth says:

    We are planning a border of Hostas in the front of our house. We want a strip of large hostas about 12 ft. long. There are so many listed here, could you please shorten the list for us? Thanks for your help. Becky

  • Birdell Reed says:

    Thank you for the information about the Hostas. I found out about hostas that grow in the sun by accident. I don’t have trees around my house. I always buy flowers that like the sun. Some people look forward to looking at my flowers each year. Where can I buy some of these hostas? I don’t ever see the kind that can grow in the sun around here. Birdell Reed

    • Judi says:

      Hello Birdell,
      Thank you for your questions. There are numerous places to purchase Hostas. I don’t know where you live, but the first is to check nearby nurserys. Most will only have 20-25 varieties. Go on your computer and type in Hostas in say Michigan if that is where you live. There should be a lot of places that come up for you to check out. Some will be nurseries, and some will be mail order nurseries. You will pay more locally usually as they are usually larger and older plants than can be shipped from a nursery. There are some locally here in West Central Wisconsin that grow many, many varieties and also do mail order. (don’t order anything in the hot summer!) Order early in the winter or spring and have the site ready to plant when they are sent.
      Now, another thing to consider is your soil. Since you have a lot of sun, you will want to prepare your soil with Lots of compost. And, be prepared to water, water, water. Hostas need Lots of water, since their leaves are large and evaporate water fast. Another thing you can do is to plant Hostas in containers to keep a better check on them. Again, depending on your location, these can be wintered over in a garage. Hostas need the cold in the winter months to make food for the summer months.
      So, for a few places to purchase Hostas there is Uniquely Hostas in Elroy, WI is a good site to check out. Also Klehms Song Sparrow Farm in southern Wisconsin, Hostas Direct, Minneapolis, MN, Land of the Giants Hostas, Funkie Gardens, House of Hostas in Green Bay, WI. to name a few.
      I hope I have helped you in your growing of Hostas!

  • Kelda brooks says:

    Hi there!

    I recently bought some June hostas to plant in my front yard to line my sidewalk. It is part sun to sun and am willing to give it a try. I am going to run a soaker hose through them and have mulch on top of the soil. My question is, should I water them daily? We live in TN (zone 7) and it does get very hot and sometimes very dry in July and August. Can I over water them and if I am, how will I know? Thank you so much!

  • Allison says:

    I had heard that garlic water (cloves soaked for a few days) sprayed over plants helps keep slugs away. Any information on that?

    • Judi says:

      Hi Allison,
      I don’t have any information on garlic water for slugs. I will try to find out some and get back to you. Happy Gardening, Judi

    • Judi says:

      In answer to your question, Allison here is a website below that tells about making a solution and using it. It sounds simple enough, but I can’t comment as I haven’t tried it. And……I am in West Central Wisconsin, and on this 19th of April, we still have Lots of snow on the ground, and the Hostas won’t be coming through that any time soon, so I can’t try it out yet! Spring will come soon! Happy Gardening, Judi

      http://homeguides.sfgate.com/garlic-spray-slugs-80955.html

  • Rosalind Wiechart says:

    Hello, do you know of a miniature hosta that will do well in the morning sun?

    • Judi says:

      Hi Rosalind, Any of the miniature Hostas would do well in morning sun. And, most larger Hostas too. Usually morning sun is the perfect place for Hostas.
      I guess the first one that comes to my mind is Blue Mouse Ears. It is a hardy Hosta that I have a small border of next to a cement drive coming into our garage. It multiplies fast and makes a real nice mound. In a couple of years you would be able to divide it into more. (I usually don’t recommend dividing any that soon).
      Another miniature that is real nice is Pandora’s Box. A nice creamy center and also mounding. Others you could look for would be Sun Mouse a gold one, Hope, Lakeside Neat Petite, a vigorous mound, and Munchkin Fire. There are other small ones, that the leaves are too large to qualify for a mini too, depending on how much room you have.
      I would suggest you go on line and find the different nurseries that sell miniatures and see what catches your eye. We have a great one in this area called Uniquely Hostas, in Elroy, WI that has more than you could ever need! They do mail order too. Most of the mail order companies are very good. Compare prices and sizes too. I hope this has helped you! Thank you for asking. Happy Gardening, Judi

  • Lax says:

    Hi Judy
    I was wondering if you could help me with what type of hostas I should plant in my yard that will grow every year without much maintenance. I a corner house, with entrance on the Westside and south side is the yard and the street. I have two tall trees on the south side (Ash trees). I am trying to plant hostas to cover the yard and not sure which one to plant. Can you please help?

    • Judi says:

      Hello,
      Thank you for asking. I will try to help. The first question is what zone are you in, and if in zone 4, where are you located? It makes a lot of difference in choosing the correct Hostas.
      And, sometimes it is a trial and error. It is not always an open and shut answer when everyone’s site is different and the soil is different, and even the temperature of the soil, if there is a cement block foundation for the house and sidewalks real close also.

      The Hostas that I have had decent luck with on the sunnier locations, are first, Halcyon. A great working plant. On mature Halcyon, in August the blossoms are just beautiful for 2-3 weeks. Another one that is super, is Touch of Class. In September, there is no burning and no bug holes. A good lasting one way into frost.
      Mostly, if you have hot areas, is to water them extra, even with the rain. I read now that it is suggested 2″ of rain a week, not just one.
      This is from a local nursery/grower.
      Now, with all that being said, Hostas like other plants need the sun to survive too. I have planted a Sum & Substance (another good one for a sunny space) Hosta on the backside of the gazebo, north, and of course, it didn’t get enough sun and stayed pretty green all the time. I moved it and it doubled in size the first summer! They can take more sun if watered enough. The leaves are so large that they evaporate water at a fast pace. Soaker hoses in the beds around the plants are always a good idea. I hope I have helped you with your questions. Please write again if you have more! Happy Gardening, Judi

  • Anna Davis says:

    thank you for your info. just opened your site and found it helpful. thanks again.

  • >