One of the best plants for dappled sunlight and shade, there are thousands of hosta varieties to choose from. Of those, we’ve selected 59 Best Types of Hostas!
Hostas are perfect ground covers, they look exceptional in borders and work really well as accent plants. They are low maintenance and look stunning with their variegated foliage wherever you plant them!
Check out some awesome ideas on landscaping with hostas here
Best Types of Hostas
1. Whirlwind
This perennial is an ideal choice for a shady garden. The heart-shaped and slightly ruffled leaves are either creamy white or lime green adorned with dark green margins.
2. Komodo Dragon
Being one of the largest Hostas, this plant proudly features large cascading green leaves with a fine blue hue. The foliage is deeply veined and flourishes mainly in full or partial shade.
3. Halcyon
The blue-green leaves of Hosta Halcyon will brighten up your shady space. The plant grows pale lavender flowers in late summer, supported by mauve-gray stalks.
4. Crispula
This Curled Hosta type is a low-care plant, which grows dark green foliage with off-white edges. These large and wavy leaves make excellent groundcovers, especially in dappled shade.
5. Fire Island
Fire Island is adorned with striking yellow-green leaves that gradually fade to a greener shade as the season progresses. In more mature plants, the leaves remain textured.
6. Golden Tiara
Featuring wide heart-shaped leaves adorned with yellow margins, Golden Tiara is a smaller plant that develops into a spreading mound. It is one of the best Types of Hostas you could grow!
7. Guacamole
Noted for its exceptionally striking color, the oval leaves are yellow-green with gold streaks towards the center. Unlike other Hosta varieties, this plant blooms big fragrant white flowers all throughout the summer.
8. Elegans
Elegans is a much broader plant, growing as wide as 4-5 feet under the right conditions. The large, heart-shaped leaves are glossy, textured, and feature a blue-green hue.
9. Blue Angel
This variety is adorned with thick and heavily textured foliage. Having a blue-green hue, it’s one of the biggest Hostas. This variety can also tolerate the morning sun, but dislikes hot afternoon exposure.
10. Frances Williams
This variety is one of the most popular hostas of all time because of its large variegated heart-shaped leaves, adorned with a puckered texture and very prominent veins. It is one of the best Types of Hostas you can grow!
11. Paradigm
Paradigm has golden leaves with irregular green edges, textured all the way through. Unlike many other varieties, its color becomes richer as the summer progresses.
12. Geisha
Geisha forms an upright mound of striking elongating leaves. Twisting at the tip, the glossy foliage has a yellow hue with olive-green margins.
13. Patriot
Another variegated hosta variety is Patriot, which sends up its lavender blossoms upright on its slender stems that stand above its foliage. This cultivar is a genetic mutation of another popular hosta, Hosta ‘Francee.’
14. Alligator Alley
With stunning foliage, this variety of Hosta has heart-shaped leaves with a leather-like texture. The center is a bright yellow and turns a beautiful chartreuse color.
15. Angel Falls
This dense plant consists of a round mound adorned with creamy lime-green leaves having wide dark green margins. This variety also blooms bell-shaped lavender flowers.
16. August Moon
Adorned with thick, asymmetrical leaves, shaded in chartreuse but change to a softer or darker shade, depending on the sunlight. This is one of the varieties that grow very vigorously and blooms every summer.
17. Blue Ivory
With slightly yellowish margins, the deep blue-green leaves on the Blue Ivory Hosta are extremely striking and captivating. During summer, the margins on this plant turn bright white.
18. Blue Mouse Ears
One of the smallest Hostas, the Blue Mouse Ears grows with round blue-green leaves and grows only up to 2-4 inches long. Because of its size, the plant is ideal for container growing as well.
19. Bridal Falls
With unique edges and deeply colored veins, the Bridal Falls Hosta is striking to look at. It grows to almost 3-4 feet wide and looks gorgeous even when displayed alone.
20. Brother Stefan
This sturdy variety of Hostas is adorned with thick green leaves having bright yellow centers. Brother Stefan spreads up to 2-3 feet, making this an absolute highlight to your indoor or outdoor garden.
21. Captain Kirk
Captain Kirk grows oval leaves that have prominent veins and overlap each other. The leaves start out in a bright green shade that consistently changes to chartreuse, yellow, and then white as it grows older.
22. Dancing Queen
The Dancing Queen Hosta is an absolute stunner to have at home garden. With ever-changing shades, the leaves of this plant become lighter green as the season progresses and then it blooms lavender flowers during late summer.
23. Designer Genes
With a unique look, the Designer Genes Hosta’s name is very apt. Adorned with golden yellow leaves that grow lighter as the season progresses, this plant looks glossy from above and matte under the leaves.
24. Earth Angel
A fairly large Hosta, the Earth Angel is a very popular choice for many home gardeners. Along with stunning blue-green leaves that have pale margins, this plant also blooms fantastic lavender-shaded flowers.
25. Empress Wu
Empress Wu grows thick, dark green leaves that can grow upto 1 foot in length. When grown indoors, the plant is reduced in size.
26. Enterprise
With a great height of 3-5 feet, the green leaves are heart-shaped and have chartreuse margins all along the edges. It is slug-resistant as well, so you don’t have to worry about them.
27. Fire and Ice
With oval-shaped white leaves, the Fire and Ice are adorned with green margins on each leaf. This plant is perfect for small spaces or gardens that have limited space. It is one of the best Types of Hostas you can grow!
28. First Frost
A winner of several international awards, this variety looks stunning only until the first frost, hence its unique name. Adorned with stunning heart-shaped green-blue leaves, the margins are the shaded color of yellow.
29. First Mate
With dense, long leaves, the First Mate Hosta grows upright with leaves that have white centers and green margins. This plant also blooms star-shaped flowers that are lavender in shade.
30. Francee
A popular cultivar, the Francee Hosta is spectacular to look at. This plant has gained attention due to its quick growing time and its stunning lavender flowers that add more points to this plant.
31. Gold Standard
A dense variety, the Gold Standard Hosta is a stunning addition to any home garden. With chartreuse leaves, this plant blooms flowers in the shade of pink lavender.
32. Humpback Whale
This stunning hosta grows up to 3-5 feet in height and 6-7 feet in width in its natural habitat. With completely white blooms, this plant adorns a dome-shaped mound with blue-green leaves.
33. June
A more compact variety of Hostas, June has variegations on blue-green leaves that come in speckles of chartreuse and canary yellow. The plant blooms lavender flowers in bell shape. It is one of the best Types of Hostas you can grow!
34. Liberty
Adorned with heart-shaped leaves, the Liberty Hosta is broader than most other varieties. During summer, this plant blooms funnel-shaped lilac flowers that make this plant more attractive than it is.
35. Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia is a stunning variety that has dark green foliage with yellow margins that turn white as the plant matures. It is perfect for edgings, groundcover and can also be grown in pots.
36. Maui Buttercups
Smaller in size, the Maui Buttercups is a compact plant and loved by many home gardeners.
37. Mini Skirt
Another miniature Hosta, the Mini Skirt grows only up to 2-4 inches high. Adorned with thick green leaves, they have pastel yellow margins and purple striped flowers.
38. Minuteman
The Minuteman Hosta is a clumping perennial that works perfectly in a smaller planter. With dark green leaves and white margins, this plant is known for its unusually large lilac blooms that flower mainly during summer.
39. Orange Marmalade
This variety is popular for its color-changing leaves. They start off in a shade of sea-green, and as they mature, turn to a shade of golden orange and finally shift to an ivory white.
40. Paul’s Glory
A plant that attracts hummingbirds and songbirds when it flowers. This one is beautiful hosta variety.
41. Prairie Sky
One of the most popular blue Hostas out there, the compact Prairie Sky has heart-shaped leaves that are cupped, making this a unique plant. With powder blue foliage, this plant also features Lavender shade flowers during mid-summer.
42. Praying Hands
Dark Olive Green in color, the Praying Hands Hostas has curled in narrow leaves that resemble a pair of praying hands. Another Hosta that attracts hummingbirds and songbirds, this variety also grows lavender color flowers during summer.
43. Rainforest Sunrise
Low in maintenance, the Rainforest Sunrise Hosta is the perfect variety for planters and containers. Extremely resistant to slugs and diseases, this plant grows up 7-10 inches high and 12-16 inches wide.
44. Revolution
The Revolution Hosta is another variegated variety. With ivory leaves that are speckled with dark green, these plants grow up to 18-36 inches wide. It is one of the best Types of Hostas you can grow!
45. Rhino Hide
Thick and hardy, the Rhino Hide Hosta has deeply cupped chartreuse leaves that become bright yellow as the plant matures. This plant has thicker leaves than most Hostas and is very pest-resilient.
46. Royal Standard
The Royal standard Hosta is adorned with cupped leaves that are chartreuse with blue margins. They also grow fragrant white flowers that sit on top of the plant, forming a scape.
47. Sagae
Sagae Hosta is striking from the others due to its unusual wavy shape. T
48. Spartacus
The Spartacus Hosta is a beautiful plant having a medium green hue on leaves with yellow margins. Perfect for containers, they are a striking sight with their slightly violet flower scapes.
49. Stained Glass
Oval and convex in shape, this variety of Hosta is bright yellow with deeply indented veins. The Stained Glass Hosta blooms large flowers mainly in the summer.
50. Stiletto
One of the most compact Hostas, the Stiletto has narrow olive green rippled leaves with pale white margins. This variety produces bell-shaped lavender flowers that have delicate stripes all across them.
51. Sum and substance
Adorned with thick ridged leaves, this Hosta is light green in color but can turn chartreuse if the weather becomes warm enough. A winner of several international awards, this variety has large thick leaves.
52. Unduluta
One of the most unusual Hostas, the Unduluta consists of wavy green leaves that make for gorgeous foliage. The summer blooms are mauve and funnel-shaped, winning this variety couple of awards too.
53. Victory
With a height of 26-30 inches, the Victory Hosta has blue-green leaves with narrow beige margins that make stunning groundcovers.
54. Vulcan
The Vulcan is adorned with heart-shaped leaves with cream margins and stripes across the length. It has extremely vigorous growth, and also grows star-shaped flowers during summer.
55. Wide Brim
With broad dome-shaped leaves, the Wide Brim Hosta is an extremely popular variety due to its uniqueness and wide margins. This plant is extremely susceptible to slugs and snails. It is one of the best Types of Hostas you can grow!
56. Hudson Bay
This stunning variety of Hosta is adorned with tricolored variegated leaves. In early summer, this plant blooms cream flowers that make it even more spectacular.
57. Climax
Climax Hosta is a large vase-shaped variety with large showy leaves. Early summer, this plant blooms tall flowers that grow over the 16-20 inch tall plant. This is one of the most stunning Types of Hostas you must grow!
58. Cathedral Windows
A tetraploid mutation of the Stained Glass Hosta, the Cathedral Windows are much sturdier and vigorous than its sister variety. This plant produces beautiful golden yellow leaves with wide dark green margins all around the edges.
59. Sugar and Spice
Topped with Lily-like blooms, the Sugar and Spice Hosta forms a medium-sized mound filled with green leaves that grow with cream margins. The edges turn whiter as the season progresses.
Beautiful Hostas
Very nice and beautiful flowers. I am happy to saw different types of hostas.
Can I order some of these hosts and where? Thank you.
Lynn meuchel
I can’t wait to go to my grounds,and identify the different varieties.Putting a name to the pictures was helpful.My gardens are mostly wood mulch.The hostas seem to do well in mulch.The mulch keep the plants cool in hot weather.Helps to retain moisture.I add fresh mulch every year.I get the mulch for free at our local transfer station.