Hostas For Sunny Spot

[bloomsaplenty]

I had no success in finding any info when I did a forum search on hostas that can tolerate a sunny spot. Either a morning sun/ afternoon shade spot or the opposite planting site. I have read recommendations that varigated hostas are more sun tolerant and others that recommend solid color hostas for sun. Would like to hear the opinion of the forum hosta lovers.

[sugar]

I had no success in finding any info when I did a forum search on hostas that can tolerate a sunny spot. Either a morning sun/ afternoon shade spot or the opposite planting site. I have read recommendations that varigated hostas are more sun tolerant and others that recommend solid color hostas for sun. Would like to hear the opinion of the forum hosta lovers.

A few hours of morning sun or evening sun are perfect spots for almost every hosta.

If the spot is rather a few hours of shade per day, you should start picking out on of those plants that can take a lot of sun, and certainly take a look at the fragrant ones.
Anyway, hostas can take more sun as long as they have enough water. And in general, the plain green ones take sun better then the variegated ones

[poppi]

I have Francee, Zounds, Rascal, Green Fountain, Sun Power, Pauls Glory, Plantegenia and Shade Fanfare in a sunny spot and they don't seem to mind at all although Sun Power does burn by the end of the summer but the color is fantastic. They are well watered so maybe that's the key.

[digs57]

Plantaginea and its hybrids such as Guacamole, Stained Glass, Fragrant Bouquet, So Sweet, etc etc, are thought to be more sun & drought-tolerant than many others, but the list is long. I kept the responses posted to this question last year, and here it is - as you see, it isn't exactly a limited selection:

Sun tolerant hostas

Abba Dabba Do
Alex Summers
Aphrodite
August Moon
Aztec Treasure
Birchwood Parkys Gold
Blond Elf
Blue Mammoth
Blue Umbrella
Calypso
Chartruese Ruffles
Choko Nishiki
Feather Boa
Fortunei Aureomarginata
Fragrant Bouquet
Fragrant Gold
Francee
Fried Bananas
Fried Green Tomatoes
Fringe Benefit
Geisha
Ginko Craig
Glory
Gold Drop
Gold Edger
Gold Regal
Gold Standard
Golden Anniversary
Golden Tiara
Great Expectations
Green Fountain,
Green Sheen
Green Wedge,
Guacamole
Hadspen Blue
Honeybells
Hoosier Harmony
Inniswood
Invincible
Joker
June
Lady Isobel Barnett
lancifolia
Lemon Lime
Maekawa
Ming Treasure
Minuteman
nigrescens
On Stage
Patriot
Paul's Glory
plantaginea
Regal Splendor
Rising Sun
Royal Standard
Sagae
September Sun
Shade Fanfare
Shining Tot
So Sweet
Sugar and Cream
Sum and Substance
Summer Fragrance
Sun Dance
Sun Glow
Sun Power
Sundance
Treasure
undulata
Undulata Albomarginata
Undulata Univatatta
Vanilla Cream
Venus
Vera Verde
Whirlwind
Zounds

I'm sure it can be expanded.

The bonus of planting them in the sun is that they'll grow and bloom more vigorously.

Digs.

[Chris_W]

Personally I would try to avoid the morning shade/afternoon sun location for hostas. This is considered almost full sun, and if it is against a building this is one of the hottest locations and would be sure to burn almost any hostas.

The morning sun/afternoon shade will grow a lot of hostas, including many on the list just posted. Again, if it is against a building then you may have to deal with reflected heat. I've seen hostas on the morning sun side of the house get scorched leaves on the back leaves and not the front ones.

Some of my favorites out in some bright light are in the Gold Regal family including Gold Regal, Rascal, Alex Summers, and in the August Moon family and its hybrids including August Moon, September Sun, Lunar Orbit, Abiqua Moonbeam, Maui Buttercups, Rainforest Sunrise. I've also seen some incredible Piedmont Gold in quite a bit of sunlight and the Tiaras will take a fair amount of sunlight.

The fragrant ones will also tolerate quite a bit of sunlight and heat but then they have the added drawback of emerging early and suffering frost damage. Putting them in a lot of sun can cause them to sprout too soon so I try to bury the crowns a little deeper (2 to 3" deep) and then mulch them to keep them cold longer.

[Wild Dog]

They are well watered so maybe that's the key.

Water is the key to the master lock!

Hosta are not "shade tolerant"
Hosta are not "sun intolerant"
Hosta are "heat intolerant'

Water is the main and usually the only way we have of controlling heat. A mist system will cool but that is expensive and difficult and I wouldn't recommend mist except for the most determined hostaholic.

More sun = more heat so be prepared to water, by that I mean when they need it even during the heat of the day if necessary.

[Ginger]

Wilddog, I understand and agree with what you are saying regarding hosta in sun need a lot of water, and hosta can endure alot of sun, but while the roots may be thriving, the leaves will not. Hot or direct sun will burn the leaves in no time, at least where I live it will, so Hosta in sun here results in burnt awful looking leaves, but a great root system (providing they do get plenty of water). I tried this two years ago and ended up moving them. The leaves were burnt off but the roots look great. Since I plant hosta for the leaves, I would rather have great looking foliage and a smaller root system, but that is just me

[Pieter]

Hot or direct sun will burn the leaves in no time, at least where I live it will,

At your latitude that is not surprising Ginger! The angle of the sun is much steeper for you than it is for me, and here in sunny BC, just north of the 49th parallel, I can grow my Guacamole for example in pretty much full sun all day (from about 9AM to 5PM @ summer solstice) and not have it suffer premature burnout by the end of July. Matter of fact, my 'G' is putting up new scapes on this year's new growth right now!

[thy]

bloomsaplenty, start with plantaginea types, then the green ones, the yellow ones and for the most shaded parts the blue ones
Pia

[jobranch]

Bloomsaplenty - I am afraid that after all of the good responses given to you, you may have to do some testing. I did this this year, trying to put 4 Gold Standards in a morning sun/afternoon shade spot in my yard and the result was terrible. So, I learned something. I agree with Chris, you don't want afternoon sun especially if you have hot summers, and as Wild Dog says, hostas hate heat more than anything. But I think you are up north, so you may do well with afternoon sun. I have been thinking that Royal Standard might be one I test in my sun spot next year, but the RS I have has started a rapid decline in the last two weeks. I have seen Royal Standard, Francee and Patriot do well in partial sun spots in Alabama.

Jeff

[jobranch]

Also - drive around neighborhoods in your area and look for hostas growing in yards. I have one yard in my neighborhood in which a tree fell. It had H. Francee planted all around it. Now it is in full sun, no shade at all, and while the Francee look bad now, they did very well for most of the summer. If the homeowner had taken better care of them, they would have done well. Look around and see what is working in other yard in your area.

Jeff

[Ginger]

I agree Francee can tolerate just about anything as long as it gets water. I have notcied the yellows tolerate more sun than the darker greens do, but they will have a bit more sun damage than a Francee will get.

I think you just have to do trial and error and it all depends on where you live. I cannot do any afternoon sun here during the summer, but spring and fall are not as damaging. Having my hosta in pots gives me the ability to move them around and try different places and see how they tolerate the sun at different times of day, bright shade and deep shade.

Almost all of my hosta have put out new flushes of leaves and several including Francee are putting out second groups of flowers. It is nice because usually by now they are struggling just to stay alive The rain and cooler temps have been kind to me this year, hope it is the same next year

Ginger

[bloomsaplenty]

Appreciate the numerous posts on hostas for a somewhat sunny spot.

Am working on a rather large memorial garden surrounded by mature hardwoods. The majority of plants will be starts donated by members of our club. The project was put on hold as several trees were removed and a water source installed. We plan to install soaker hoses to simplify a mositure issue and will note the named varieties provided in this thread on our wish list. Thanks for the first hand info.