Hostas for Sun: How Much Sun They Take and Which Ones Cope Best
Short answer
No hosta is a true full-sun plant everywhere, but many take more sun than people expect. Most hostas tolerate, and can even do well with, morning sun as long as they are shaded from hot afternoon sun (Missouri Botanical Garden). The ones that cope best have yellow, green or chartreuse leaves and thick, substantial leaf tissue, and even they need constantly moist, organic soil to thrive in sun (same source).
Three things decide how much sun a given hosta can take:
- Leaf colour and thickness. Yellow, green and chartreuse leaves tolerate sun best; thick leaves cope better than thin, papery ones (Missouri Botanical Garden). Blue hostas generally need heavy shade to keep their colour, and hostas with a lot of variegation should be in shade so the leaves don’t burn (Iowa State University Extension).
- Time of day. Sun-tolerant hostas handle morning and midday sun best; late-afternoon sun fades and burns the leaves (University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension).
- Climate and water. Hostas tolerate partial sun better where summers are cooler (University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension); in hot regions, full or dappled shade protects the foliage from burn (NC State Extension). In a dry, sunny spot, leaves often burn or brown at the edges; extra watering helps, but leaves may still look bleached and ragged by late summer (Iowa State University Extension).
Which hosta for which spot
| Your spot | What to plant | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Morning sun, afternoon shade | Most hostas, including gold and yellow ones | Gold and yellow types develop their best colour with about 4–6 hours of partial sun (Iowa State) |
| Sun until early afternoon | Cultivars named as sun-tolerant (table below) | Needs steady moisture and organic soil (Missouri Botanical Garden) |
| Hot afternoon sun | Avoid hostas, or give them shade | Afternoon sun fades and burns leaves (UNL Extension) |
| Blue or heavily white-variegated hostas | Shade | Blue fades and variegated leaves burn in sun (Iowa State) |
Sun-tolerant hostas named by extension services
The cultivars below are named as sun-tolerant by the Missouri Botanical Garden or the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension. Sizes are the mature height × spread recorded in the American Hosta Society registry; real plants vary with climate and age.
| Cultivar | Named by | Registry size (height × spread) | Leaf (registry) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sum and Substance | Missouri Botanical Garden | 36 × 60 in (91 × 152 cm), giant | Chartreuse-gold, 18 × 15 in (#5458) |
| Royal Standard | Missouri Botanical Garden; UNL | 26 × 63 in (66 × 160 cm), medium | Medium green, glossy (#4866) |
| Citation | Missouri Botanical Garden | 22 × 30 in (56 × 76 cm), medium | Chartreuse with creamy white margin (#1061) |
| Honeybells | UNL Extension | 26 × 50 in (66 × 127 cm), large | Medium green (#2627) |
| Green Wedge | Missouri Botanical Garden; UNL | 20 × 30 in (51 × 76 cm), large | Deep green, 18 × 4.5 in (#2356) |
| Gold Edger | Missouri Botanical Garden | 7 × 11 in (18 × 28 cm), small | Gold (#2121) |
| Invincible | Missouri Botanical Garden | 10 × 12 in (25 × 30 cm), small | Bright green (#2741) |
The Missouri Botanical Garden also lists Fall Bouquet, Fringe Benefit, Grand Master, Green Fountain, On Stage, Shade Fanfare, Shining Tot, Spritzer and Vanilla Cream (Missouri Botanical Garden). Its list was written for the St. Louis area, so treat it as a starting point and give the plants more shade if your summers are hotter.
Guacamole is a common choice for a brighter spot. The American Hosta Society’s Hosta Helper says it does best with some direct sun, that its gold centre gets brighter with 1–2 hours of morning sun, and that its pale lavender flowers are strongly fragrant (The Hosta Helper). (Its sizes disagree between sources: the registry record lists 10 × 18 in (#2394), while the Hosta Helper gives 24 × 54 in.)
Fragrant hostas such as Hosta plantaginea need light and warmth to flower well; morning or midday sun suits them best (UNL Extension).
How to grow a hosta in a sunnier spot
- Improve the soil before planting. Sun-tolerant hostas still need moisture-retentive soil. The RHS suggests digging in about a bucketful of well-rotted compost or manure per square metre (RHS).
- Water at the soil, not over the leaves. Drip tubing or a soaker hose is better than overhead watering (UNL Extension). Water whenever the soil is dry (Iowa State).
- Mulch thinly. About 1 inch of loose organic mulch in early summer reduces water loss; a thicker layer tends to increase slugs (UNL Extension).
- Shelter from wind. Low humidity and wind cause leaf browning (UNL Extension), and wind adds to the drying effect of sun.
- Watch the first summer. Brown, crisp edges or bleached patches mean the plant is getting more sun or less water than it can handle (Iowa State). Move it to a shadier spot in spring or late summer, the usual times for moving hostas (UNL Extension); see how to divide and transplant hostas.
Signs of too much sun
- Brown, dry leaf edges and tips
- Bleached or faded patches on the leaf
- A ragged look by late summer, even with watering
- Blue hostas turning green early (their waxy coating wears off faster in heat; see blue hostas)
Burned or bleached leaves and dried-out leaf tissue are a common result of planting hostas in open, sunny places beyond their tolerance (UNL Extension). Damaged leaves don’t recover, but the plant usually produces normal leaves the next year once it is moved or shaded. For other leaf problems, see hosta pests and diseases.
Frequently asked questions
Can any hosta grow in full sun all day?
In cool-summer areas some sun-tolerant cultivars can, if the soil stays moist. In most places, afternoon shade is the safer choice: even sun-tolerant hostas take morning and midday sun best, and late-day sun fades and burns leaves (UNL Extension).
Do gold hostas need sun?
They need some to colour well. Most yellow and gold hostas develop their best colour in partial sun, roughly 4–6 hours (Iowa State University Extension). In deep shade they tend to look greener.
Which hostas should never go in sun?
Blue hostas and hostas with a lot of white in the leaf. Blue ones fade in sun and heavily variegated leaves burn (Iowa State University Extension); mostly white leaves are thin, grow slowly and burn easily in sun (The Hosta Helper). See hostas for shade and white hostas.
Related guides
- Hostas for shade
- Blue hostas
- White hostas
- Hosta care
- Companion plants for hostas
- Choosing a fertilizer for hostas
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden — Which hostas are tolerant of direct sun?
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension — Hostas (NebGuide G1683)
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — All about hostas
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Hosta
- Royal Horticultural Society — Hostas tolerant of sun
- The Hosta Helper (American Hosta Society) — Leaf color; Hosta ‘Guacamole’
- American Hosta Society Registry records — #1061 ‘Citation’, #2121 ‘Gold Edger’, #2356 ‘Green Wedge’, #2394 ‘Guacamole’, #2627 ‘Honeybells’, #2741 ‘Invincible’, #4866 ‘Royal Standard’, #5458 ‘Sum and Substance’