Companion Plants for Hostas: What to Plant With Hostas
Quick answer: what to plant with hostas
The best companions for hostas are plants that want the same conditions — partial to full shade and well-drained soil improved with organic matter, with regular moisture (University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension) — but look different: fine, feathery or grassy foliage next to the bold hosta leaf, or flowers in seasons when hostas are not at their best. Reliable choices are ferns, astilbe, heuchera (coral bells), brunnera, epimedium, foamflower (tiarella), Japanese forest grass, bleeding heart, hellebores and Solomon’s seal; for summer color add shade annuals such as begonias, coleus and impatiens; between them, plant spring bulbs. The table below compares them.
How to choose a companion for hostas: four rules
- Match the light. Hostas grow best in partial to full shade; some cultivars tolerate partial sun, mainly where summers are cooler (University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension). A companion that needs full sun will struggle next to them, and a hosta moved into hot afternoon sun to suit the companion can scorch (Ask Extension). See the guides to hostas for shade and hostas for sun if your bed gets more light.
- Match the water. Hostas want well-drained soil and regular moisture; poorly drained spots can cause root and crown rot (University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension). Pair them with plants that want the same — not with drought-loving Mediterranean herbs or succulents.
- Contrast the texture. The large, coarse leaves of hostas pair well with the fine foliage of other shade perennials such as astilbe and ferns (Iowa State University Extension).
- Fill the gaps in the calendar. Hosta foliage dies to the ground at 28°F or below, so hostas give no winter display and are best combined with plants that do (University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension). Interplanting hostas with spring bulbs hides the bulbs’ fading foliage (University of Illinois Extension), and once fall color subsides hosta foliage can be cut back (University of Illinois Extension). Hellebores carry the late-winter weeks; toad lilies extend the season into fall.
Companion plants for hostas: comparison table
Use this table to shortlist plants for your conditions. “Contrast” is what the plant adds next to a hosta. Check each plant’s hardiness for your own zone before buying.
| Companion (botanical name) | Type | Light | Moisture | Main season of interest | Contrast with hostas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’) | Perennial fern | Part shade–shade | Moist | Spring–fall foliage | Fine, silvery fronds with dark maroon midribs (NC State Extension) |
| Maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) | Perennial fern | Part shade–shade | Moist | Spring–fall foliage | Very fine, airy fronds (UF/IFAS Extension) |
| Astilbe (Astilbe spp.) | Perennial | Part shade–shade | Consistently moist; not drought-tolerant | Summer plumes (July to October, by variety) | Feathery flowers and ferny leaves (RHS) |
| Coral bells (Heuchera spp.) | Perennial | Part shade (varies by cultivar) | Moist but well-drained | Foliage all season; spring–summer flowers | Small, often colorful leaves; needs good drainage (University of Missouri IPM) |
| Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla) | Perennial | Part shade–shade | Moist | Spring blue flowers; silver-leaf cultivars all season | Tiny forget-me-not flowers; heart-shaped leaves (silver in some cultivars) (NC State Extension) |
| Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.) | Perennial | Part shade–shade | Moist | Early spring flowers; spotted leaves | Spotted foliage and one of the earliest spring blooms (NC State Extension) |
| Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.) | Perennial groundcover | Part shade–shade | Tolerates dry shade once established | Spring flowers; foliage | Small, heart-shaped leaves; useful under trees (NC State Extension) |
| Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) | Perennial groundcover | Part shade–shade | Moist | Spring flower spikes | Low foamy flowers at hosta feet (NC State Extension) |
| Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) | Ornamental grass | Part shade | Moist | Summer–fall foliage | Cascading grass blades; gold forms light up blue hostas (NC State Extension) |
| Sedges (Carex spp., shade-tolerant species) | Grass-like perennial | Part shade–shade (species vary) | Moist (species vary) | All season foliage | Fine grassy texture; good edging (NC State Extension), (NC State Extension) |
| Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis, formerly Dicentra) | Perennial | Light shade | Well-drained; not waterlogged | Late-spring flowers; foliage yellows by August | Arching stems; hostas fill in as it declines (University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension) |
| Lenten rose (Helleborus × hybridus) | Evergreen perennial | Deciduous shade with morning or dappled sun | Well-drained; will not tolerate wet soil | Winter–early spring flowers | Leathery evergreen leaves, bloom while hostas are dormant (Clemson Cooperative Extension) |
| Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum spp.) | Perennial | Part shade–shade | Moist | Spring flowers; arching stems | Vertical, arching line above rounded hostas (NC State Extension) |
| Leopard plant (Ligularia dentata) | Perennial | Part shade–shade | Moist soil that never dries out; foliage wilts in too much sun | June–July yellow-orange flowers | Big leaves and hot flower color for moist spots (Missouri Botanical Garden) |
| Toad lily (Tricyrtis spp.) | Perennial | Part shade–shade | Moist | Late summer–early fall flowers | Star-shaped, purple-spotted flowers late in the season (University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension) |
| Spring bulbs (daffodils, Siberian squill, snowdrops) | Bulbs | Sun before trees leaf out | Average | Late winter–spring | Spring flowers; hosta leaves hide fading bulb foliage (University of Illinois Extension) |
| Shade annuals (begonias, coleus, impatiens, torenia, caladium) | Annuals | Shade | Moist | Summer–frost | Continuous color in front of hostas (Utah State University Extension) |
Heuchera and hostas
Heuchera (coral bells) is a common hosta partner because its small, colorful leaves contrast with large hosta leaves without competing for attention. A few practical points:
- Give heuchera good drainage. Heuchera require well-drained soil and often fail in soil that is too wet or heavy; raised beds or berms help (University of Missouri IPM). Plant them slightly raised or at the better-drained edge of the bed, in front of the hostas.
- Color pairs to try: purple or near-black heuchera with gold hostas such as Sum and Substance or Guacamole; amber or caramel heuchera with blue hostas such as Halcyon; silver-veined heuchera with white-edged hostas such as Patriot.
- Scale: most heucheras are small; pair them with small and medium hostas, or put them at the front of a bed of large hostas so they are not buried.
Perennials to plant with hostas, season by season
- Late winter to early spring: hellebores, lungwort, snowdrops, early daffodils. Lenten rose blooms in winter and early spring (Clemson Cooperative Extension), and lungwort is among the earliest spring bloomers (NC State Extension).
- Spring: brunnera, epimedium, foamflower, bleeding heart, Solomon’s seal. Bleeding heart foliage typically yellows and withers by August, especially in hot or dry conditions; plant it with hostas, ferns and astilbe, which fill in as it declines (University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension).
- Summer: astilbe, ligularia (for wet spots), ferns at their peak, Japanese forest grass. Hostas also flower in summer, with white to lavender blooms (University of Illinois Extension). See hostas in bloom.
- Late summer to fall: toad lilies, the fall color of Japanese forest grass and some ferns. See also what to do with hostas in the fall.
Annuals to plant with hostas
Annuals add continuous color without the spreading roots of some perennials. Shade annuals include begonias (wax and tuberous), coleus (grown for its leaves), torenia (wishbone flower), caladium (bold patterned leaves), New Guinea and double impatiens, browallia and fuchsia (Utah State University Extension).
One caution: garden impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) is susceptible to impatiens downy mildew, caused by the water mold Plasmopara obducens; New Guinea impatiens (I. hawkeri) and its hybrids appear to be resistant to or tolerant of the disease (University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension).
Plants to avoid next to hostas
- Aggressive spreaders that will overrun hosta crowns, such as goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria) and, in regions where it is invasive, creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) or English ivy (Hedera helix) (NC State Extension), (NC State Extension), (NC State Extension).
- Sun- and drought-lovers (lavender, most succulents, many ornamental grasses), which need conditions that stress hostas.
- Shallow-rooted, thirsty trees right over the bed. Hostas can grow under trees, but they will likely need ongoing extra watering in the dry, competitive root zone of established trees, and dense shade under low-branched evergreens may not give them enough light (University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension).
Five hosta combinations to copy
- Blue, gold and lace (part shade): blue Halcyon + gold Japanese forest grass + Japanese painted fern. Three textures, three colors, one moisture regime.
- Big focal point (larger beds): Sum and Substance or blue Big Daddy at the back, astilbe in the middle, foamflower at the front.
- Brightening deep shade: white-edged Patriot or Francee + silver-leaf brunnera + white astilbe. Light-colored leaves read well where flowers are scarce.
- Small space or container edge: Blue Mouse Ears + a small amber heuchera + a fine sedge. See dwarf hostas.
- Dry shade under trees: June + epimedium + hellebores, with spring bulbs between them. Mulch well and water during dry spells.
Plant sizes for these cultivars are on each cultivar page (data from the American Hosta Society registry); space companions so they are not smothered when the hosta reaches its mature width.
Companion planting checklist
- Note how many hours of direct sun the bed gets and whether the soil stays moist.
- Choose one hosta as the anchor and look up its mature width on its cultivar page.
- Pick at least one fine-textured companion (fern, grass, astilbe) and one with a different bloom season.
- Add early bulbs or hellebores for the weeks before hostas emerge.
- Leave room: plant companions outside the hosta’s mature spread, not under it.
- Group plants with the same water needs; put heuchera on the better-drained edge.
- Avoid aggressive spreaders next to hosta crowns.
- Mulch, but leave some air space between the mulch and hosta and heuchera crowns to avoid crown rot (University of Illinois Extension).
Frequently asked questions
What is the best thing to plant with hostas?
There is no single best plant. The large, coarse leaves of hostas pair nicely with the fine foliage of other shade perennials such as astilbe and ferns (Iowa State University Extension), and heuchera is a popular partner for leaf color.
What perennials grow well with hostas?
Astilbe, heuchera, brunnera, epimedium, foamflower, bleeding heart, hellebores, Solomon’s seal, toad lilies, lungwort and shade ferns. Use the table above to match light and moisture.
What annuals can I plant with hostas?
Begonias, coleus, torenia, caladium and impatiens (Utah State University Extension). Plant them in front of the hostas so the hosta leaves do not shade them out completely.
Do heuchera and hostas grow well together?
Yes, they are a classic pairing. Give heuchera the better-drained front edge of the bed, because heuchera require well-drained soil and often fail in soil that is too wet or heavy (University of Missouri IPM).
Can you plant hostas with ferns?
Yes. Shade ferns such as Japanese painted fern and maidenhair fern want the same conditions and give the strongest texture contrast. In small beds, be careful with ostrich fern: it spreads by rhizomes and is strongly competitive (Penn State Extension).
What should I plant with blue hostas?
Gold or chartreuse foliage (Japanese forest grass ‘Aureola’, gold heuchera), burgundy or amber heuchera, and silvery ferns all make blue leaves look bluer. See our blue hostas guide for blue cultivars.
Do companion plants keep slugs or deer away from hostas?
We could not find a source showing that companion plants protect hostas from slugs or deer, so don’t count on them; deer and rabbits eat hosta foliage (NC State Extension). See hosta pests and diseases for control measures and our guides to slug control and deer repellents.
Related guides
- Blue hostas · White hostas · Hostas for shade
- How to divide and transplant hostas — the easiest way to get more hostas for a new bed
- Hosta care guide
Sources
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension, Hostas (G1683)
- Ask Extension, Hosta leaf scorch
- University of Illinois Extension, Caring for spring-blooming bulbs after flowering
- University of Illinois Extension, Take care of hostas going into winter
- University of Illinois Extension, Plantain lily
- University of Illinois Extension, Planting and care (flowers)
- Iowa State University Extension, All about hostas
- University of Missouri IPM, 2012: Year of the Heuchera
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Hosta plantaginea, Athyrium niponicum, Brunnera macrophylla, Pulmonaria saccharata, Epimedium × versicolor ‘Sulphureum’, Tiarella cordifolia, Hakonechloa macra, Carex pensylvanica, Carex plantaginea, Polygonatum, Aegopodium podagraria, Lysimachia nummularia, Hedera helix
- UF/IFAS Extension, Adiantum pedatum fact sheet (FP013)
- Royal Horticultural Society, Astilbe growing guide
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Bleeding heart, Lamprocapnos (Dicentra) spectabilis
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Hairy toad lily, Tricyrtis hirta
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Lenten rose
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Ligularia dentata
- Utah State University Extension, Annuals for shade
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Impatiens downy mildew
- Penn State Extension, Native plants of PA: Ostrich fern