The 23 Best Companion Plants To Grow Alongside Your Hostas For Year-Round Color

There are 22 species of hostas, all of which are commonly used as ornamental foliage in various types of gardens, especially as ground cover. Hostas can also cover dying foliage from nearby companion plants while providing other practical benefits. When you select the best companion plants for your hostas, you can improve the growing conditions for the entire garden. For example, some companion plants, like begonias, coral bells, and impatiens, may deter pests and help keep deer from eating all your hostas. Others, like goat's beard, hydrangeas, or daylilies, may provide much-needed shade or add color for year-round interest in your garden.

Hostas have foliage from spring to fall in hardiness zones 3 to 9 (USDA), thriving in partial shade, dappled sunlight, or deep shade, depending on the variety. They prefer moist, well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. It makes sense that you would want to select companion plants that grow well in similar conditions. However, there is more to selecting the best companion plant for your hostas than that, and you will definitely want to avoid common companion planting mistakes that everyone makes. If you want year-round color, you will want to make sure your plants bloom at different times. In addition, make sure that they actually complement each other in some way outside of aesthetics, such as deterring pests from each other or providing beneficial chemical and nutritional effects on the soil. Luckily, each of these 23 companion plants for your hostas meets these conditions, making them perfect for healthy year-round color.

Astilbe (Astilbe japonica) is a great flower to plant in a shade garden, and it offers several benefits as a colorful companion plant for hostas. First, it is deer and rabbit-resistant, making it perfect for improving growing conditions. Of course, this perennial also grows well in the same soil and shade conditions as hostas in hardiness zones 4 to 9. The white or pink flowers bloom in long 4- to 8-inch clusters that grow above fern-like foliage, reaching a total height of 1.5 to 2.5 feet. You can expect to see these beautiful blooms in late spring and early summer.

There are over 2100 different begonia species, and not all of them are suitable companion plants for hostas. However, they are all typically perennials that grow in shady conditions in zones 10 and 11 and produce blooms that are pink, red, yellow, white, or orange. Wax begonias and tuberous begonias are great companions because they like the same soil conditions while deterring deer, rabbits, and slugs. Plus, with proper care, begonias bloom in the summer and fall, so they are great as a companion for late-season color.

A plant that will produce beautiful hanging blooms over your hostas is the bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis). It is a great companion for hostas because they thrive in similar conditions, with this perennial growing in zones 3 to 9. When you successfully care for your bleeding hearts, they will produce blooms in the spring and summer while keeping deer and rabbits away from your hostas. The biggest concern when pairing with hostas is that both plants are susceptible to slug damage. To resolve this, you could plant a third companion plant that is slug-resistant and blooms in the fall.

Clematis flowers are somewhat unique because you can control the color and blooming time depending on the type of clematis you choose to plant. There are three types of clematis that are perennials growing in zones 3 to 9: type one blooms in early spring, type two blooms in late spring, and type three blooms in summer or fall. They come in a variety of colors, including blue, gold, pink, purple, red, or white. They are resistant to deer and rabbits while attracting other pollinators. They grow well in soil that hostas like but can thrive in either full sun or partial shade.

A companion plant for hostas that is very similar but adds a pop of color is coral bells (Heuchera). There are many striking varieties of coral bells that each have colorful foliage from spring to fall. Like hostas, they can produce flowers in the summer, but they won't always. These perennials grow in zones 3 to 8, and they love the same soil conditions as hostas, but they can thrive in either full sun or partial shade. They are not susceptible to the same issues as hostas, and they are resistant to deer and rabbits.

Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) plants produce fragrant, colorful flowers that do not attract any pests and are deer-resistant. They can be red, pink, white, lavender, and magenta. They do well with hostas because they love partial shade and dappled sunlight in moist, well-draining soil. These perennials grow in zones 9 to 11 and are low-growing flowers that stay less than a foot tall. They bloom in the spring, but with proper care, they can bloom again in the winter.

Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are a great companion for your hostas if you want a blooming plant that will flower above your foliage. They grow well together; however, they don't provide each other with any significant benefits regarding soil or pest control, so you will probably want to pair them with another companion plant. Daylilies are perennials that grow in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9. They don't attract any additional pests, and they can also be salt and drought-resistant. The flowers can grow to be up to 3 feet tall, and they bloom in the spring and summer.

Flowers aren't the only good companion plants for your hostas. You can also pair them with trees that provide shade, like the stunning flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), which is a perennial growing in zones 5 to 9. The best place to plant your flowering dogwood is somewhere in dappled sunlight. They love the same soil as hostas, but can withstand harsher conditions. The flowers bloom on the tree in the spring, usually between March and May, and the fruit becomes bright, shiny red in the fall between August and October. They offer hostas several benefits, including protecting them from deer and storm damage.

If you want to transform your shade garden with a colorful ground cover that grows well with your hostas, foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) is the way to go. They are perennials in zones 3 to 8, producing leaves all through spring, summer, and fall, with white or pink blooms in early spring. They can be planted anywhere where you can put hostas, and they are slightly deer-resistant. Another great benefit with the foamflower, though, is that it is a food source for wildlife in the fall, which can be great for birders or attracting pollinators.

Foamy bells (x Heucherella) offer two aesthetic benefits that will add color to your shade garden from the flowers and the foliage. The cross between foamflower and coral bells is a perennial that grows in zones 4 to 11. It features pink and white flower clusters that sit above foliage that can be gold, green, orange, silver, or purple, depending on the variety. They grow well in moist, well-draining soil and shade, but they are resistant to dry soil. In addition, they are resistant to disease, insects, deer, and rabbits.

Forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica) are perennials that add cute, tiny blue flowers to your hosta garden in the spring in zones 3 to 8. Depending on your hosta variety, they could bloom just above the hosta foliage at about 1 foot. It is important to consider that even if you successfully grow forget-me-nots, this self-seeding flower can easily become weedy and take over if you allow it to go to seed. However, it provides both aesthetic and practical benefits to hostas, including deer and rabbit resistance.

A tall, showy, white flower that grows well near your hostas is the goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus), which is a perennial that thrives in zones 3 to 7. They will bloom well above your hostas at 3 to 6 feet in spring and summer. This could provide some shade cover for your hostas while also preventing deer and rabbit damage. Plus, they provide the perfect environment for Dusky Azure caterpillars.

Another perennial growing in zones 3 to 9  that provides a beautiful mix of color to pair with your hostas is hydrangea. They grow well in full sun or partial shade, so you won't want to pair them with deep shade hostas. They have a long bloom season from spring to fall, featuring round, umbrella-shaped flower clusters in a range of colors, including white, pink, blue, and purple. Their benefits are mostly aesthetic, although they like soil that is occasionally wet, so they may help absorb excess moisture.

Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) are another long-blooming perennial that grows in zones 10 and 11. The blooms are active from late spring to early fall, and they can be white, red, purple, pink, or orange. They are a great companion for hostas because they are fast-growing and rabbit-resistant. Plus, they can be grown in any conditions similar to hostas, from deep shade to partial sun in moist soil. They are also one of the few low-growing, shade-loving plants that could help to deter snails and slugs, which are one of the most common hosta pests. 

For a late-blooming burst of color, lily-turf (Liriope muscari) is a purple perennial that grows in zones 5 to 10, and it provides a wide range of benefits for your hostas. They produce purple blooms in the late summer or fall and can be planted anywhere you plant your hostas. They also provide benefits to the soil because they are resistant to a wide range of challenges, including deer, drought, erosion, foot traffic, heat, heavy shade, humidity, pollution, poor soil, rabbits, and salt.

Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) offers color from both the blooms and the leaves. It is a perennial plant that grows in zones 3 to 8 and flowers in the spring. The flowers can be blue, pink, or purple funnels, but the leaves are green with white or pale green splotches. They sit about the same height as hostas and also tend to invite slugs to the area, so you may want to pair them with another slug-resistant plant. However, they deter both deer and rabbits.

Ornamental onions (Allium) produce purple globe-shaped flowers that bloom in the spring and summer. This perennial grows in zones 4 to 9 and provides a refreshing pop of color while complementing the growing conditions of your hostas. It is important to note that they do well in partial shade but not deep shade. In addition, soil that is too moist could cause root rot. It will provide other benefits to your hostas, though, like being deer-resistant and attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Some people also plant them to repel snakes.

Another aesthetically pleasing flower to pair with your hostas that comes in a range of colors is primrose (Primula). You can plant this annual flower anywhere you would plant hostas. There are over 450 varieties, which all bloom in the spring. They can be gold, blue, pink, red, or white and grow to be up to 3 feet tall. While it doesn't have any specific pest control benefits for hostas, it can help improve the soil quality, especially if you leave the dead plant matter behind at the end of the season.

Pigsqueak (Bergenia crassifolia) is a unique flower that can add interest to any garden, but it grows especially well with hostas because they love the shade. The foliage grows to be about 1 foot tall with flowers blooming above it at around 18 inches. They are perennials that grow in zones 3 to 8 and can bloom in both winter and spring, depending on the climate. Flowers can be white, pink, purple, or red. They don't deter any pests, but they are not susceptible to any specific insects or diseases.

The name may sound a little scary, but spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum) is actually a safe nettle plant that will look great next to your hostas. It is not a stinging nettle, nor is it poisonous, but it is beautiful. This perennial plant that grows in zones 3 to 8 does great in shade gardens with moist soil. In the spring and summer, you can expect to see stunning, two-lipped pink, purple, and white flowers blooming above the foliage but under 1 foot high. In the fall, they produce triangular fruit, and the leaves can appear silver, green, or variegated.

Tulips (Tulipa) can grow well next to hostas, but they are mostly for aesthetic benefits, with flowers ranging in colors such as black, white, red, pink, purple, yellow, orange, and variegated. They can provide some additional shade for shorter hosta plants. Tulips are annuals that can grow in large masses with blooms in the spring. They prefer some sun, and they are susceptible to many of the same concerns as hostas, so you will want to pair them with another companion plant.

If you want low-growing blooms to accent your hostas, violets (Viola) are a good option because they grow in almost the same conditions while attracting a wide range of pollinators. These perennials grow in zones 1 to 10 with a height of about 7 inches, but they don't do well in deep shade. Plus, they aren't particularly susceptible to any insects or diseases. They can, however, become weedy if you allow them to spread uncontrolled.

Yellow corydalis (Corydalis lutea) also grows in the same conditions as hostas, providing year-round foliage and bright blooms in the spring and summer. They are also easy to care for, and they grow to be up to 1.5 feet tall. They are susceptible to slugs and snails, so you may want to pair them with another companion plant to prevent pests. They are, however, resistant to disease, which can prove beneficial for your hostas.