The Simple Trick To Tell How Much Sunlight Your Hosta Can Tolerate

You probably know that hostas are the ideal plant for those shady spots in your garden. They're prized for their gorgeous large leaves that come in all manner of shapes, sizes, and colors to brighten up the less well-lit areas in your yard. In addition, these popular and versatile plants with graceful blooms are even perfect for an allergy-friendly garden. It might surprise you to know that there are now over 6,000 different cultivars available. While many of these plants happily thrive with less than four hours of sunlight, there are some hybrids that can tolerate, and even need, a slightly more sunny location to achieve their true potential. There's a simple trick to tell you how much sunlight your hosta can tolerate: All you have to do is take a closer look at the color of the leaves. 

Hostas with deep green leaves are definitely shade-lovers and will look their best when planted under trees in those darker corners of your yard. The same goes for those varieties with dark blue foliage. If these cultivars receive too much sunlight, their foliage color can easily bleach, and the leaves can become scorched. In fact, if you take a look at other plants that appreciate deep shade, you'll find that most will have really dark foliage. Some examples of hostas that do best in shadier locations include 'Blue Hawaii,' 'Blue Mouse Ears,' and 'Moonlight Sonata.'

If you're looking for hostas that don't mind a bit of extra sunlight, look for varieties that have yellow or variegated leaves. These can easily tolerate around four to five hours of morning sun. Just make sure they're shaded in the afternoon as too much sun at this time of the day will scorch the leaves. You'll find those varieties with lighter and more brightly colored foliage will really develop their interesting hues when exposed to additional sunlight in the morning.

So, if you have a spot in your yard with these types of light conditions, you'll find that there are plenty of hostas that are tolerant to the sun. Some good cultivars to consider include 'Seasons in the Sun,' which has bright yellow leaves, and 'Sweet Innocence,' which has variegated leaves with mid-green centers and large creamy margins. Another striking example of a sun-tolerant hosta is 'August Moon.' This beauty has large chartreuse, heart-shaped leaves that become more golden according to sun exposure. Finally, you might be interested in a few tricks to keep deer from nibbling on your hostas so you can truly enjoy their brilliance in your garden.