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. :)

We tried hosta several years ago with no luck. Perhaps in the right location they might do ok?

What is it?

Check this out.. https://www.hunker.com/13427845/host...ies-in-florida

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

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. :)

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.

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

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!

The rabbits find peacock ginger quite tasty.

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?

I grew lots of hosta in Kentucky but have had no luck with them here.

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.

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.

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.