Will hosta grow here?

Closed Thread
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 10-10-2018, 04:15 PM
Henryk's Avatar
Henryk Henryk is offline
Gold member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,356
Thanks: 147
Thanked 79 Times in 58 Posts
Default Will hosta grow here?

In Provincetown on Cape Cod, I grew numerous hosta varieties. Can you successfully grow it here? If so, please share a few varieties and sources.
__________________
A hammer is not a screwdriver. (My grandfather Bill.)
  #2  
Old 10-10-2018, 04:48 PM
rhood rhood is offline
Veteran member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 658
Thanks: 3
Thanked 148 Times in 62 Posts
Default

We tried hosta several years ago with no luck. Perhaps in the right location they might do ok?
  #3  
Old 10-10-2018, 04:52 PM
Shimpy's Avatar
Shimpy Shimpy is offline
Sage
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,735
Thanks: 4
Thanked 24 Times in 19 Posts
Default

What is it?
__________________
Les
  #4  
Old 10-10-2018, 04:58 PM
Kenswing's Avatar
Kenswing Kenswing is offline
Sage
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: We're Here!
Posts: 7,593
Thanks: 1,487
Thanked 5,396 Times in 2,255 Posts
Default

Check this out.. https://www.hunker.com/13427845/host...ies-in-florida
__________________
Birthdays Are Good For You. Statistics Show the More That You Have The Longer You Will Live..

We've Got Plenty Of Youth.. What We Need Is a Fountain Of SMART!
  #5  
Old 10-10-2018, 05:42 PM
thelegges's Avatar
thelegges thelegges is offline
Soaring Eagle member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Drayton Plains, MI, Vietnam, Waterford, MI, Pennacamp, Fernandina, Duval, 1 retired in Richmond
Posts: 2,207
Thanks: 12
Thanked 1,587 Times in 566 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Henryk View Post
In Provincetown on Cape Cod, I grew numerous hosta varieties. Can you successfully grow it here? If so, please share a few varieties and sources.
I think even in the shade it would be too hot here, they need to dormant in the winter and regenerate in the spring. plus I worry about snakes taking a nap in the leaves
  #6  
Old 10-10-2018, 11:36 PM
Boomer Boomer is offline
Soaring Parsley
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,222
Thanks: 147
Thanked 2,204 Times in 740 Posts
Default

Hi Henryk,

I missed hostas, too, but did not even try in TV.

My rule of thumb for hostas back back home has always been — the deeper the color, the deeper the shade needed. (I do not know if that is an official rule but that is how it worked for me.)

In TV, even if you could find the shade, I think the heat would do them in pretty fast.

In Ohio, I had good success with the Patriot hosta — on the east side of the house with very little shade. As you probably know that is a pretty tough one, pure green with white edges — a knockout, especially when planted near something pink. It also stays a rather polite size. Watering from the bottom helped Patriot to look good through the summer, but by late August, we would lose interest in each other and decide to face reality, give up, and meet same time next year for our glorious showing off season.

(I guess I am not helping by regaling you with tales of Midwest hostas, but you are in my wheelhouse now, and I am not sleepy tonight.)

Anyway, I understand how you feel about hostas and I hope you hear from somebody who has been successful with them in TV, but I would not put any money on that possibility.

There is a plant you might try for its beautiful foliage — Stromanthe sanguinea, aka, Tricolor. I tried this one in TV, but it did not work for me. Not only was my shade marginal, at best, but I planted Tricolor in a year when we touched on freezing. Tricolor is actually a tropical plant so it did not like that cold winter.

Tricolor will not give you back your hosta happiness because nothing beats hostas for variety and ease of growing, but Tricolor does have beautiful foliage.

Maybe try one and see what you think. I had no luck but maybe you will. The winter that did them in for me was really cold so I never tried again. (And — I should have known that Queen palms would not provide enough shade, even though those things can give a surprising amount from way up high. Besides, I eventually evicted those Queen palms — not worth the aggravation.)

Anyway, if you got through this ode to hostas, thanks for reading — but don’t even think about getting me started on hydrangeas — I love them, too.

PS: I posted and then saw kenswing’s link above about hostas in Florida. Maybe there is hope.

Last edited by Boomer; 10-10-2018 at 11:44 PM.
  #7  
Old 10-11-2018, 06:47 AM
aninjamom's Avatar
aninjamom aninjamom is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: The Villages, FL
Posts: 316
Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Default

I have had hostas in a pot in the shade here, but they did not do well. I have seen beautiful hostas here in Florida in parks, but I don't know if they had to replant every year.
  #8  
Old 10-11-2018, 06:59 AM
juneroses juneroses is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 370
Thanks: 13
Thanked 79 Times in 23 Posts
Default

If you have a hosta-type site, you might consider peacock gingers. The University of Florida says "This Florida-Friendly groundcover is perfect for shady spots or for any northern gardeners who miss growing hostas." Here's an image search:

peacock ginger varieties florida - Google Search
__________________
The Villages via Cincinnati, Ohio
  #9  
Old 10-12-2018, 06:23 AM
wendyquat's Avatar
wendyquat wendyquat is offline
Platinum member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,580
Thanks: 2
Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
Default

I haven’t had any luck with my hostas. They come up every year, get to be about four inches high and then stop and die back again!
  #10  
Old 10-12-2018, 11:13 PM
big guy big guy is offline
Veteran member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 600
Thanks: 49
Thanked 90 Times in 51 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by juneroses View Post
If you have a hosta-type site, you might consider peacock gingers. The University of Florida says "This Florida-Friendly groundcover is perfect for shady spots or for any northern gardeners who miss growing hostas." Here's an image search:

peacock ginger varieties florida - Google Search
The rabbits find peacock ginger quite tasty.
  #11  
Old 10-13-2018, 07:28 AM
Greg Nelson's Avatar
Greg Nelson Greg Nelson is offline
Veteran member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 596
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

My wife Jane is a big hosta fan and gardener. We live way up north in TV.She'd like to join a club...any help?
  #12  
Old 10-13-2018, 08:01 AM
Cedwards38's Avatar
Cedwards38 Cedwards38 is offline
Platinum member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Village of Sanibel
Posts: 1,784
Thanks: 0
Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts
Default

I grew lots of hosta in Kentucky but have had no luck with them here.
__________________
Be the change that you wish to see in the world.
― Mahatma Gandhi
  #13  
Old 10-13-2018, 02:08 PM
juneroses juneroses is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 370
Thanks: 13
Thanked 79 Times in 23 Posts
Default

There are various garden related clubs. Among them are the Villages Garden Club North, the Bonsai Club, the Butterfly Garden Club, the Landscape Club and the Rose Club. There are probably others. No local Hosta Club, however. All three counties - Sumter, Lake, and Marion - also have Master Gardener programs.
__________________
The Villages via Cincinnati, Ohio
  #14  
Old 10-13-2018, 06:00 PM
Mikeod's Avatar
Mikeod Mikeod is offline
Sage
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Caroline
Posts: 5,021
Thanks: 0
Thanked 49 Times in 27 Posts
Default

About a year and a half ago we found “Florida hostas” at Walmart on 466 and bought a few. They did well and were going strong until some snails got to them. I cut them way back and they are recovering. They don’t go dormant like up north and are slightly less robust but look like I remember.
__________________
"the difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."

Last edited by Moderator; 10-13-2018 at 08:04 PM.
  #15  
Old 10-14-2018, 07:52 AM
aninjamom's Avatar
aninjamom aninjamom is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: The Villages, FL
Posts: 316
Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Default

I spotted a bed of hosta at Epcot yesterday; in Norway at Epcot, they were growing in shade in a secluded corner. Not very big, but seemed to be doing ok. Varigated variety.
Closed Thread

Tags
grow, varieties, hosta, share, sources
Thread Tools

You are viewing a new design of the TOTV site. Click here to revert to the old version.

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:59 AM.