Hostas Celebrating Half a Century .....
- John Plant
- Sep 26
- 4 min read
Let’s start with a short history lesson….
Did you know that Hostas, our beloved shade-loving plants adorning countless gardens, have a fascinating history dating back to ancient Asia.
These versatile perennials first caught botanists’ attention in Japan and China where they grew wild in woodland areas and mountain valleys.
Your garden’s favourite shade plant made its journey to Europe in the late 1700s and quickly became a gardener’s treasure.
Originally classified under the genus Funkia, these resilient plants were later renamed Hosta in honour of Austrian botanist Nicholas Thomas Host.
What’s particularly intriguing is how these plants evolved from simple wild species to the thousands of cultivars we enjoy today – from tiny miniatures to massive specimens with leaves spanning two to three feet across.
How did they originate?
These historical plants thrived in the shaded woodland areas of Japan, China & Korea. They adapted to life beneath towering trees developing their large leaves to capture what little sunlight filtered through the canopy.
The origins.
This Hosta affectionately known as August Lily holds a special place in Hosta history. Unlike its shade-loving cousins, this species emerged from the slopes of Korea where it developed its distinctive pure white flower and sweet perfume.
However, Hosta only reached the USA in the 1800’s with the first documented arrival in 1839. In the 1850’s nurseries like Parsons & Co of New York started offering these ‘new’ Asian plants to eager gardeners.
The real boom started in the late 1800’s when US nurserymen started experimenting with cultivation, which became the foundation for modern breeding programs.
These shade-loving perennials have undergone dramatic changes through careful selection and breeding.
In the pre-1800’s there were only 3-4 wild species, by the 1900’s there were about 40 varieties, to the present day with over 10,000 registered varieties.
Hostas have evolved over centuries to become the ultimate shade garden champions, adapting perfectly to life beneath the canopies, which trace back to their natural origins in the wooded areas of Asia.
From their humble beginnings to becoming a garden superstar, Hostas have proven themselves versatile and enduring plants.
Hosta variety numbers grew dramatically in the 70s when U.S Hosta lovers began finding new sports and breeding new varieties through cross pollinating. The US has produced some of the best varieties there are. There are still many beautiful varieties being introduced by US growers.
In the United States, Hostas are the number one perennials and for that reason there are many nurseries supplying hundreds of different varieties and introducing many of their own.
You can search their valuable database on Home Page - American Hosta Society
The American Hosta Society started listing varieties being registered. Started in 1969 with just 3 x varieties. In 1970 one of the first being registered was Hosta Green Lava. This variety is still available today.
You can see the year each one was registered, which one was registered & by whom!
By 1972 this had reached 26 varieties and increased each year.
When you look back at some of the older Hostas and see which ones are still available and which are not, you have to ask the question why? Why is a particular variety lasted so well whilst others have fallen by the wayside.
Some of these are because they are still used today for hybridising. The production of new varieties from seed. A good fertile Hosta that produces many new varieties is a great base for the hybridiser. It will have to have several qualities that they are looking for.
There are some memorable names in the list that have outlived many of the others, for example Hosta Gold Standard, an excellent Hosta for creating new varieties.
Other such as Hosta Big Daddy, Hosta Big Mama, Hosta Blue Umbrellas, Hosta Golden Prayers, & Hosta Hadspen Blue. All registered 50 years ago or more and all still going strong.
They are all good strong Hostas in their own right and still very popular.
The majority, it is fair to say that the majority of 50 year plus registrations are either very difficult to find or just not about any more. All registrations are shown, but a lot of them cannot easily be found any more.
A lot of the older varieties have been superseded by newer varieties and have now found themselves out of fashion. Possibly surviving somewhere in someone’s older collection.
The introduction of new varieties has certainly not slowed down, with many more new and exciting varieties on the market. Still, plenty from the USA and nowadays from breeders in Europe.
Registrations are still being made today. Many of our well-known Hostas have been around for a few years. Some of them over 50 years.
Don’t take Hostas lightly. There are hundreds of thousands of people involved with establishing new varieties, registering them, and introducing them to the general public. These are passionate people, and we look forward to seeing the result of their years of hard work.
Well done to all of those both past and present. May it continue for years to come.
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John Plant
Rewela Hostas
I’ve loved hostas ever since my dad brought home a cutting over 50 years ago. I never knew it’s name, but the leaves had yellow centres and variegated green edges and pale lilac flowers. It grew beautifully every year up until 20 years ago when over one winter, the local cats decided to ‘water’ its soil unbeknownst to me. I mourned that plant and my dad, but I vowed to always have hostas in my garden from then on. Sadly during Covid I became very ill. It took 3 years to recover enough to look after my garden again by which time it had overgrown to the point where I needed professional help to clear everything and start again. So,…