I have arranged all of the Hostas we grow into an ordered list so that you can compare them side by side. For want of a better scheme, I have grouped them by size and then by colour form within that. There are some very helpful cultural notes that have been written by my good friend and Hosta aficionado,David Byfield. You can find these notes at the end of the listing.

You might also like to check out

The following list has been organised primarily by height and thereafter by leaf colour

Small (Class 4 – leaves 36-160 sq cm)

Green and Yellow Variegated

Hosta 'Brim Cup'

Hosta ‘Brim Cup’

  • Hosta ‘Brim Cup’. Small. 30 x 40cm. A small sized Hosta that quickly makes a good size. The leaves are strikingly marked with broad creamy edges and an irregular dark green central splash. Texture is puckered and leaves are cupped. H. ‘Aden 392’ x H. ‘Wide Brim’ (P Aden, 1986)
Hosta 'Lacy Belle'

Hosta ‘Lacy Belle’

  • Hosta ‘Lacy Belle’. Small. 30 x 50cm. The leaves of this Hosta medium sized variety are narrow and pointed. The variegation is strong and regular with blue green centres and a broad creamy yellow edge. H. ‘ Neat Splash’ seedling x H. ‘Halcyon’

Golden

  • Hosta ‘Gold Edger’. Small. 30 x 90cm. An excellent edging Hosta with heart shaped leaves of heavy substance that change in colour from light green through chartreuse to gold. A very dense grower that will tolerate sun all day long. H. ‘Blue Cadet’ selfed or x H.’Gold Cadet’

Green

Hosta 'Invincible'

Hosta ‘Invincible’

  • Hosta ‘Invincible’. Small. 25 x 30cm. A very distinctive Hosta on account of the very glossy and thick nature of the bright green leaves. Fragrant near white flowers. A very fast growing variety. H. ‘Aden 314’ x H. ‘Aden 802’

Medium (Class 3 – Leaves 160-530 sq cm)

Yellow & Green Variegation

  • Hosta ‘Praying Hands’. Medium. 35 x 40cm. A unique variety with twisted pointed leaves that are held very erect. Leaves dark green with a blue tinge, accentuated by a narrow yellow edge. An unusual variety that people either love or hate, it makes a most striking plant when mature. For light shade. Of unknown origin.
Hosta 'Praying Hands'

Hosta ‘Praying Hands’

  • Hosta ‘Color Festival’. Medium. 30 x 50cm. An eye-catching combination of fluorescent yellow streaks between a dark green margin and a white centre make a stunning Hosta. Sport of H. ‘ Enterprise’.  (D vanEechaute, 2007)
Hosta 'Color Festival'

Hosta ‘Color Festival’

  • Hosta ‘Nancy Lindsay’. (Hosta ‘Windsor Gold’) Leaves emerge mottled with a rich butter yellow spotting, later fading to mid green. The flowers are well coloured, mauvey-pink, held well above the leaves. A Hosta fortunei type. Leaves below 30cm
Hosta 'Nancy Lindsay'

Hosta ‘Nancy Lindsay’

  • Hosta ‘Guacamole’. Medium. 25cm x 50cm. An open mound of overlapping rounded gold leaves margined dark green. A fast grower for a sunny spot where it will quickly achieve its full potential. Large fragrant flowers in August held well above the foliage. The green margin can be barely visible in cooler growing conditions. Sport of H. ‘Fragrant Bouquet’
Hosta 'Guacamole'

Hosta ‘Guacamole’

  • Hosta ‘Stained Glass’. Medium. 25cm x 50cm. Like its parent, an open mound of rounded gold leaves margined dark green, but with leaves brighter all season. Prominent veins earn it its name. A fast grower for a sunny spot where it will quickly achieve its potential. fragrant flowers in August. Sport of H. ‘Guacamole’
Hosta 'Stained Glass'

Hosta ‘Stained Glass’

  • Hosta ‘Shade Fanfare’. Medium. 37 x 50cm. Large heart shaped leaves are chartreuse green with broad creamy yellow margins, fading to yellow with a white edge as the season progresses. Produces lots of lily like lavender flowers. Medium sized grower. Sport of H. ‘Flamboyant’
Hosta 'Shade Fanfare'

Hosta ‘Shade Fanfare’

White & Green Variegation

  • Hosta ‘Fireworks’ is a new sport in 2001 from Hosta ‘Loyalist’, itself a sport of Hosta ‘Patriot’, a parentage giving Hosta ‘Fireworks’ leaves of good substance. It forms an upright mound, 18cm high by 25cm wide, and although it is quite vigorous, it does not grow as big as its parent. The beautiful leaves and petioles are dramatically margined and streaked with dark green on a bright ivory white ground with some paler green feathering. The leaves are lanceolate with sharper tips. Ideally site in a position that receives 2 hours of morning sun or only dappled shade to encourage vigour. Needs a special site or pot culture to be seen at its best. Flowers purple-mauve.

Hosta 'Fireworks'

Hosta ‘Fireworks’

  • Hosta ‘Francee’. Medium. A very graceful Hosta. Deep green leaves with a narrow bright silver edging are most elegant. Flowers are lavender; freely produced well above the leaves. ‘Francee’ will take morning sun, but this will tend to turn the green rather olivey. Rapid growth rate producing a dense clump. Sport of H. fortunei ‘Albomarginata’
Hosta 'Francee'

Hosta ‘Francee’

  • Hosta ‘Patriot’. Medium. A medium, broad spreading Hosta. The heavy textured heart shaped leaves are gently cupped and have striking broad white margins. The leaves become puckered when mature. Reasonable sun tolerance. Best grown in good light to moderate shade. Sport of Hosta ‘Francee’
Hosta 'Patriot'

Hosta ‘Patriot’

  • Hosta ‘Fire and Ice’. Medium. 45 x 75cm. A reversed form of H.’Patriot’ with white centred leaves with a dark green edge. The central section is wide and irregularly splashed and streaked many shades of green. Leaf edges are moderately twisted with a twisted tip. A striking and good growing variety. Site in Morning sun only as the centre can go green in too much light. Sport of H. ‘Patriot’
Hosta 'Fire and Ice'

Hosta ‘Fire and Ice’

  • Hosta ‘Minuteman’. Medium. A broad spreading Hosta. The heavy textured heart shaped leaves are gently cupped and have striking broad white margins and become puckered when mature. Reasonable sun tolerance. Hosta ‘Minuteman’ is a chimeric polyploid, with the white edge being tetraploid and the green centre diploid.
Hosta 'Minuteman'

Hosta ‘Minuteman’

Blue and Yellow Variegation

  • Hosta ‘Touch of Class’. Medium. 40 x 75cm. A very attractive cultivar whose leaves are blue on the edges, streaking in to the bright green and yellow centre. A Tetraploid sport of H.’June’
Hosta 'Touch of Class'

Hosta ‘Touch of Class’

  • Hosta ‘June’. Medium. 37 x 50cm. A medium sized extremely tidy hosta which is very popular. The heart shaped leaves are strikingly marked. The margins are a variable blue green whilst the broad central area is a pale lemony green fading to creamy white in sunlight. In sun the leaves show a contrasty blue and yellow colour, whilst in shade the colouration is much more subtle. Lavender flowers. 60x50cm. Sport from ‘Halcyon’
Hosta 'June'

Hosta ‘June’

Blue and White Variegation

  • Hosta ‘El Nino’. Medium. 50 x 75cm. A striking medium sized hosta with a very neat appearance. Intensely Blue-green leaves which are greyer towards the bright white margins which are wider on older plants. A Hosta that always gets noticed. Site in low light to shade to maintain the striking colour. Good substance. A hybrid of H.’Halcyon’
Hosta 'El Nino'

Hosta ‘El Nino’

Blue

  • Hosta ‘Halcyon’. Medium. 20 x 25cm. A small to medium sized Hosta with leaves of a very good blue when grown in full shade. Short dense spikes of lavender flowers held just above the foliage are an added bonus. H. ‘Tardiflora’ x H. sieboldiana ‘Elegans Alba’.  1987 winner of the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Hosta Award.
Hosta 'Halcyon'

Hosta ‘Halcyon’

Green

  • Hosta ‘Devon Green’. Medium. 45 x 60cm. A good Hosta for providing contrast in a collection or as a foil to delicate flowers. Deep green leaves are of a good satiny texture form lovely even mounds. Best sited in light shade. Has a  moderately rapid growth rate. Sport of H. ‘Halcyon’
Hosta 'Devon Green'

Hosta ‘Devon Green’

Large (Class 2 – Leaves 530-900 sq cm)

Yellow & Green Variegation

Hosta 'Inniswood'

Hosta ‘Inniswood’

  • Hosta ‘Inniswood’ Large broad Hosta (60-80cm) This is a large, broad spreading hosta with deeply puckered leaves that are bright yellow with a little green shading. Each leaf has a subtle green rim which is a little bolder on more mature plants. American Hosta Soc. award winner. Lavender flowers. A form of H. montana sported from Hosta ‘Sun Glow’. 1m wide
Hosta 'Gold Standard'

Hosta ‘Gold Standard’

  • Hosta ‘Gold Standard’. Large. 50 x 90cm. A real summer star develops from a modest spring green hosta with dark green margins. In summer the centres brighten to pure gold and then chartreuse. A medium to large grower creating a mound of overlapping leaves with slightly cupping. Sport of H. fortunei ‘Hyacintha Variegata’. Bright light to moderate shade. Has sported more fine varieties than any other Hosta.  1997 winner of the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Hosta Award.
Hosta 'Wide Brim'

Hosta ‘Wide Brim’

  • Hosta ‘Wide Brim’. Large. 50 x 75cm. A Large sized Hosta with broad exceptionally well variegated leaves. Each leaf is margined with a variable width cream band. This variety needs to be grown in adequate light to maintain its good colouring. Makes a striking specimen when grown in a tub. The leaves have a shape particularly well favoured by flower arrangers. Hosta ‘Bold One’ x Hosta ‘Bold Ribbons’
Hosta 'Abba Dabba Do'

Hosta ‘Abba Dabba Do’

  • Hosta ‘Abba Dabba Do’. Large. 60 x 170cm. A fairly fast growing Hosta with an upright growth habit. Dark green leaves with a wavy edge and gold margin. Relatively sun tolerant and pest resistant, this is a distinctive plant with its rippled mound appearance and is very garden worthy. Sport of H . ‘Sun Power’ (T Avent, 1998).

White and Blue Variegated

Hosta 'Snowcap'

Hosta ‘Snowcap’

  • Hosta ‘Snow Cap’. Large. 50 x 100cm. A large impressive Hosta with a very round leaf, downturned at the edges. The colouring is an irregular creamy gold edge around a dark blue green centre. Can be slow to increase. H.’Wide Brim’ x H ‘Royal Rainbow’
Hosta 'Northern Halo'

Hosta ‘Northern Halo’

  • Hosta ‘Northern Halo’. Large. An imposing large Hosta with deeply crinkled blue leaves and a generous cream margin. Best grown in a moist site with light shade where the leaves can grow to their best potential. Leaves can display a drawstring effect whereby the edge is contracted. Medium to slow growth. 90 x 90 cm. A sport of Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’

Blue and Yellow Variegated

Hosta 'Great Expectations'

Hosta ‘Great Expectations’

  • Hosta ‘Great Expectations’. Medium to Large Hosta (55 x 75cm or 2 x 3′) A slow growing variety, but one that is absolutely lovely when mature. Heavily puckered rounded heart shaped leaves with the leaf centres yellow fading white surrounded by a broad blue green margin. The leaves have a lovely gentle wave to teh outline. A sport of Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’
Hosta 'Paul's Glory'

Hosta ‘Paul’s Glory’

  • Hosta ‘Paul’s Glory’. Large. 45 x 65cm. Large sized Hosta with heart shaped golden leaves with a broad blue green margin. The colouration is more gold with a deeper green edge in sun, with the centre whitening out as they age. Leaves become slightly puckered with age. 18″ 45cm wide. Flowers white. Sport of H. ‘Perry’s True Blue’
Hosta 'Kiwi Full Monty'

Hosta ‘Kiwi Full Monty’

  • Hosta ‘Kiwi Full Monty’. Large. 50 x 50 cm. A Hosta with very distinctive colouration. The leaves are overall a good blue green with a central region that ages golden yellow from a blue green This region is edged in an irregular bright white line. A Hosta with an open growth form which needs siting in good light. Sport of H.’Striptease’

White and Green Variegated

Hosta 'Golden Meadows'

Hosta ‘Golden Meadows’

  • Hosta ‘Golden Meadows’. Large. An imposing large Hosta with deeply crinkled green leaves with a broad irregular yellow & lime-green central splash which ages more white. This variety is known for its excellent sun tolerance. Best grown in moist soil where the broad, beautifully waved leaves can mature to their full size. moderate to slow growth rate. 90 x 90 cm. Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’ sport.
  • Hosta ‘Domaine de Courson’. Large. height 100-120cm. A very large Hosta with satiney, dark-green, rounded leaves with a distinctive blue cast.  The habit is rather open. Sport of Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’ or possibly of its sport Hosta ‘Lady Isobel Barnett’.

Blues

Hosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd'

Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’

  • Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’. Medium – Large (90 x 50 cm). A fabulous blue Hosta with puckered heavy textured leaves, round in outline and distinctly cupped. Great topped with the white flowers. Just wait for it to rain ! H. ‘Tokudama’ x H. sieboldiana
Hosta 'Big Daddy'

Hosta ‘Big Daddy’

  • Hosta ‘Big Daddy’. Large. 65 x 160cm. Very large, distinctly cupped and puckered, deep glaucous blue leaves of great substance makes an impressive large clump to 1m across. Short dense spikes of near white flowers.   Very pest resistant variety. Slow growing and requiring a well-shaded situation for best colour, your patience will be rewarded with a superb hosta of great class. Sport of H. ‘Fortunei Robusta Variegated’ (P Aden, 1978)

Giant  (Class 1 – Leaves 900 sq cm and larger)

Green and Yellow Variegated

  • Hosta ‘Super Sagae’. Giant. 75 x 170cmcm. Slow growing, but ultimately a very impressive Hosta. Upright growth with large wavy edged blue green leaves, narrowly margined yellow. Its very stately habit makes this a particularly distinctive variety. An improved sport of H.’Sagae’ which itself was an Americam Hosta Growers Association Hosta of the Year in 2000
Hosta 'Sagae'

Hosta ‘Sagae’

  • Hosta ‘Liberty’. Giant. 100 x 100cm. A very large fine Hosta with a leaf that is blue-green ageing light green with a very bold, wide, bright yellow margin. Rugosity improves with age. ‘Liberty’ requires ample moisture to achieve its spectacular full potential. can be a little slow to establish . A must have variety for light to moderate shade. Tetraploid sport of H.’Sagae’
Hosta 'Liberty'

Hosta ‘Liberty’

  • Hosta ‘Winter Snow’. Very Large. 150 x 90 cm. Forms a large open mound of thick distinctively glossy leaves that looks like they’ve been oiled . The leaves are chartreuse green with a narrow irregular yellow margin. Good growth rate once established. Plant in morning sun with plenty of moisutre at the root. sport of Sum and Substance. Can be slow to get established
Hosta 'Winter Snow'

v

Blue and Yellow  Variegated

  • Hosta ‘Olive Bailey Langdon’. Large-Very Large. 120 x 80cm. A very fine large Hosta. The large cupped and corrugated leaves are variegated with a sea green base and broad creamy yellow margin. A moist shady site will see the full potential. Similar to H.’Frances Williams’ but will not scorch.
Hosta 'Frances Williams'

Hosta ‘Frances Williams’

  • Hosta ‘Frances Williams’. Giant. A very fine large Hosta. The large cupped and corrugated leaves are variegated with a sea green base and broad creamy yellow margin. A moist shady site will see the full potential. Plant in light to moderate shade both to preserve the wonderful colouring and to stop the edges scorching. Can be slow to establish. 1986 winner of the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Hosta Award. Sport of H. ‘ Elegans’
Hosta 'Frances Williams'

Hosta ‘Frances Williams’

  • Hosta ‘Regal Splendour’. Giant. 90 x 100cm. A large impressive plant suitable for specimen planting. Glaucous grey-green leaves with a narrow cream edge become large and deeply corrugated. Tall stems of lily-like flowers sway gracefully above foliage. Sport of H. ‘Krossa Regal’ with which it shares many features.
Hosta 'Regal Splendour'

Hosta ‘Regal Splendour’

Green and Yellow-Green

  • Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’. Giant. 90 x 150cm. Very large, puckered, golden chartreuse yellow leaves, getting bigger and better as the plant ages. Flowers are pure white in tight heads. Plant in sun to achieve the best leaf colouration. In ideal conditions this can be one of the largest of hostas. Its origin is unknown but Hosta ‘Elatior’ and Hosta hypoleuca are probably in the gene pool. ‘Sum and substance is possibly a triploid variety.
Hosta 'Sum and Substance'

Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’

  • Hosta ‘T.Rex’ Very Large. 200x75cm. A slow starter, but eventually a very large and impressive hosta with lovely leaf shape. In colour the leaves are a matt, mid-green with a blue cast. They are deeply veined, seersuckered with a slight ripple on the margin. Given an ideal site, away from sun and with ample moisture the clump will improve year on year to produce a large fountain of 45cm sculpted leaves. Needs adequate moisture to maintain the turgour (pumped-up-with-waterness) of the leaf. H.montana f. macrophylla x H. Big John

Hosta 'T Rex'

Hosta ‘T Rex’

Grey and Blue

  • Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’. Giant. 90 x 90cm. A large impressive plant which will grow into a large vase shaped mound, very suitable for specimen planting. Glaucous grey-green leaves with undulating margins become large and deeply corrugated. Tall stems of lily-like flowers sway gracefully above the foliage. A slug resistant variety for dappled shade. H. ‘Nigrescens’ hybrid.  2001 winner of the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Hosta Award.
Hosta 'Krossa Regal'

Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’

  • Hosta ‘Blue Angel’. Giant. 90 x 120cm. One of the largest blue leaved hostas with short dense spikes of pale flowers. Each leaf is large, relatively narrow for the type, tapered to a point, characteristics reflecting its H. montana heritage. The best blue colour is seen in a well-shaded position. It will tolerate a few hours of sun in cooler climates and is one of the best large blues for warmer  climates.  A classic hosta. H. ‘ Aden 365’ x H. ‘Aden ‘361’. (P Aden, 1986)
Hosta 'Blue Angel'

Hosta ‘Blue Angel’

  • Hosta ‘Empress Wu’. Giant. 140 x 250cm. For those who like the biggest this is the Hosta to have. The leaves are of a mid blue green and grow to massive proportions, with a clump that can easily be 2m across and standing almost as much tall in leaf alone, this is an imposing plant.  Fast growing, it demands space in semi shade and a moist soil where it is sure to turn heads. H.’Big John’ selfed. This variety was bred by Mike and Virginia Scaggs as part of their Xanadu series and is named in honour of the only woman to rule China in her own right.
Hosta 'Empress Wu'

Hosta ‘Empress Wu’

Information

Hostas are the perennial shade foliage plant par excellence. Only ferns, perhaps, can match them on this stage. Hostas originate from the Far East, particularly damp woodland areas in Japan. Named in honour of Nicholas Thomas Host in 1812, there was a brief period when they were reclassified as Funkia in 1817 but this name did not gain favour and they reverted to hosta. Funkia, however, is still used in some European countries today.

The lighting experienced by a hosta can have a profound effect on its colouration. The same variety grown in two different lighting situations can look remarkably different. A good example of this is hosta June which has very subdued, subtle colouration and variegation when grown in low light. By contrast, in strong light, it can look positively garish.

All hostas grow well in shade. Many will also tolerate a degree of stronger sunlight, for all or part of the day. Varieties which show yellowish colouration often have this characteristic. Obvious examples include Sum and Substance and its sports, Sun Power, Gold Standard, Royal Standard, Guacamole, Avocado, Stained Glass, Cathedral Windows, June Fever.

Although blue hostas will grow in sunny situations, this is not ideal. The best deep glaucous  colours are only seen in the shade.

Too much exposure to sunlight  may often  result in premature bleaching, at the very least, and scorching may occur in particularly pale varieties and at the edges of plants with pale marginal variegation. However, varieties of near identical appearance can perform very differently in these circumstances. For example, Frances Williams suffers from marginal scorching whereas its  younger cousin, Olive Bailey Langdon, is said to be free of this failing.

In some varieties, too much light will result in early loss of variegation during the season through ‘greening’ of previously pale areas of variegation. A couple of examples are Whirlwind and Warpaint.

Hostas enjoy the fabled “moist, well-drained soil”;  which plant wouldn’t? However, it is often surprising how poor a soil they will tolerate. The usual criticism levelled at hostas is their vulnerability to slugs and snails and many people are put off them because of this. This is a shame because there are many ways to mitigate against this. Choosing the right variety is a good start. In general, the larger varieties are more resistant than the small ones. Furthermore, we can now breed hostas which are relatively resistant. For example, many tetraploid (double the normal chromosome complement) hostas are now available. Tetraploidy confers a thicker, tougher leaf to the hosta which makes it less palatable to slugs. Another strategy is to overwhelm the slugs with quantity and variety. By having many different varieties there will inevitably be some that are more  susceptible than others  and can be regarded as sacrificial. You will then find that other varieties survive relatively unscathed.  Slug pellets, beer traps, crushed egg shells, cinders etc all have their place too.

It is important to realise that hostas often take several years to mature, ie to show their true stature and identity. This applies particularly to the large hostas. A hosta recently out of micro propagation will necessarily be small and its colours poorly developed. It may take a few years in the ground for this plant to assume its true identity.

If you are not prepared to ‘wait forever’ for maturation of your hosta, it is always worth considering another variety of the same, or similar, appearance but with increased vigour. This characteristic is often a feature of modern sports which have been selected for this reason rather than distinctive appearance. Examples include Dream Queen and Dream Weaver, both faster growing sports of that old favourite, Great Expectations. Similarly with American Halo and its parent Northern Halo.

When choosing hostas, many people are overwhelmed by the vast choice available with numbers of named cultivars running into the thousands. Remember, however, that many of these look identical and  differ from each other in some other respect, such as vigour, sun tolerance etc, as indicated previously. Viewing online lists and poll results for “favourite hostas” often brings up the same names time and again and these can be selected with a degree of confidence. A couple of such lists are the American Hosta Growers Association Hosta of the Year and the Top 100 hostas poll on the GardenWeb hosta forum.

A useful starting point when choosing hostas, is a consideration of their ultimate size. A common categorisation, based on height is: miniature <15cm, small 15-25cm, medium 25-46cm, large 46-71cm, giant  >71cm.

Remember……………
Hostas are generally easy to grow and propagate. There is a hosta to suit any size of garden. Modern sports and hybrids overcome many of the failings of their parents.
So, do a little research to discover the sort of plant you like, find a specialist hosta grower near you or online (hostas travel easily by post), be bold and confidently take the plunge into the world of hostas.