Hosta Spp. is a genus of plants, known for their showy leaves – golden yellow for the ‘Age of Gold’ variety. These plants are well suited for partially shaded areas of the landscape. In Southern California, where the sun can be intense, they plants do well with filtered morning sunlight, growing and fanning out into eye catching golden specimens.
The eye-catching, golden hues of Hosta ‘Age of Gold’
Landscape Planting – Hosta Spp. Basics
Botanical Name: Hosta Spp. var ‘Age of Gold’
Common Name: Hosta
Type: Perennial shrub
Native Range: Asia
Size: 1 to 2 feet tall, 2 to 3 feet wide
Bloom Time: Midsummer
Bloom Color: Shades of off-white
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Growth Rate: Moderate
Water & Soil: Moist but well-draining soil. Moderate water needs. Average to fertile soil.
Maintenance: Moderate water needs. Keep the ground around these plants mulched and remove fallen leaves during winter dormancy.
Suggested Use: Shaded woodland aesthetic, English cottage, specimen and border planting
Hosta is known for its large leaves
For landscape planting, hosta grows best in shaded areas. Some morning sun will darken the color on the leaves, but intense afternoon sun will often damage, or even kill, the plant. Our landscape designers at Creative Concepts Landscape will be happy to look over your property and determine areas that are optimal for these types of plants.
Our designers can take a look at your property and see if hosta’s needs can be met. We create a design plan for all of our consultations to determine what plants and needs match each individual property. Hosta make an excellent addition to colorful spring and summer gardens with their eye-catching, large leaves. Their light lime green leaves and beautiful flowers can be incorporated into many different design types. Again, Creative Concepts Landscape will help to determine the best location on your property, or create the conditions to promote a healthy, beautiful garden.
Hosta has moderate water requirements and prefer to stay in moist, but well-draining soil. They will need irrigation systems or regular hand watering, often up to twice a week if it is not raining regularly. Creative Concepts Landscape has installed many irrigation systems (drip and sprinkler), and we would be happy to take a look at your property to come up with a design that could meet hyacinth’s needs.
Hosta needs well-draining soils, which much of the soil in Southern California is. Often, you will want to add potting soil to increase the organic content of the soil. Creative Concepts Landscape will determine what conditions would be best for hyacinth in your landscape and make the necessary additions and changes.
Variegated Hosta leaves. Different varieties have a range of leaf color.
Pruning & Maintenance
Hosta main maintenance need is regular irrigation. Creative Concepts Landscape has been installing irrigation systems for over twenty years. We will be happy to schedule a consultation and come up with an irrigation system plan and install it. Creative Concepts landscape also repairs and refurbishes existing irrigation systems, so they are in optimal, efficient condition.
Outside of maintaining an irrigation system for hosta, they will need their fallen leaves to be removed as they go dormant for winter. However, if you don’t mind the look of their fallen leaves, they can be left in place to create mulch. Slugs tend to like eating these plants, so be mindful of that potential damage. Mulch touch ups should be considered to keep the ground around hosta retaining water for longer periods in our dry Southern California heat. Creative Concepts Landscape has options for maintenance schedules. Many of our clients have us maintain their property weekly or two times a month, however we also offer periodic cleanups. These cleanups range from four times a year, twice a year, and sometimes once a year. We will be happy to talk with you and determine a maintenance/cleanup schedule that fits your property needs.
Hosta make for excellent shaded garden plants.
Landscape Uses
For landscape planting, hosta grow well in part shade to full shade. Too much sun will damage their delicate leaves. These plants are great additions to woodland shade gardens and English cottage gardens, and is useful as an eye-catching specimen or border plant. Creative Concepts Landscape gets many requests for garden installations, of which hosta can be a beautiful addition. Our team of designers and technicians has decades of experience designing and installing gardens.
Creative Concepts Landscape creates a landscape plan and design for your specific property characteristics along with your wants. Our highly experienced designers will be able to see what plant types and layout will complement your landscape’s existing features to come up with a planting design plan.
Hosta blooms in summer
Thank you for joining us again in this week’s horticultural adventures. Please come back next Wednesday for out next blog post, and as always, contact us for all your landscape needs!
By Daniel Williams
Client Liaison for Creative Concepts Landscape