Gary’s Hosta Picks

Host: Gary Bachman, Ornamental Horticulture Specialist

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Hostas are a popular shade garden plant. Here are a few of my favorites today on Southern Gardening.

Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

If you have shade in your Mississippi garden, you can enjoy the wide range of leave sizes, shapes, and colors. Someonesubstance is a super-sized plant. The leaves open chartreuse and transition to a golden yellow. The plant can achieve a mature size of thirty inches tall by up to six feet wide with deeply veined leaves. It may take several years to reach its full potential.

A hosta that will stand up to high summer heat is patriot. Having irregular bright white margins on dark green leaves, patriot will be a fifteen inch by thirty-six inch wide plant. Patriot emerges slower in the spring, but the wait is worth it.

A good choice for containers to look at is colossal regal. The foliage is upright instead of spreading which is an architectural element. The vase like growth habit allows splashes of color underneath of impatients or even spotted deadnettle.

But a special hosta I like is ones mans treasure. While the foliage looks good, it’s the stems that draw attention. The stems are coved with red and purple spots that give the impression of pubescence. This hosta is fantastic under planted with Australian tree fern which have stems that match.

With so many hostas in the market, you really want to choose truly outstanding selections. The ones that I have suggested will get you off with a good start.

I am horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.

Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.