5 Best Sun Tolerant Hostas to Have in Your Garden

If you’re like most gardeners, you enjoy having hostas in your yard. These plants have very pretty green leaves with white edges, and they produce sweet-smelling flowers from late summer through early fall.

The main issue with these plants is the fact that you need to thoroughly take care of the Hostas and also watch where you plant them. Some varieties tend to overheat in direct sunlight, causing a number of issues. Thankfully, there are five types of them that can tolerate the sun quite well. If you have a sunny patch of garden space that needs a little color, then these will do well there.

1) Yellow Hostas

General yellow hostas are the most common type. They grow well in full sun, as well as partial shade. (Beware of planting them in a location with full shade, as they won’t grow as large and may not bloom. Some of these varietals include Sun Power, Rising Sun, Gold Regal, and Squash Casserole.

As you can tell by the names of the first two types, they’ll do quite well in full sun. The rest, such as August Moon, Sum, and Golden Sculpture, will grow well in sunny areas, too.

2) Fragrant Hostas

The next type of hostas that like full sun and partial shade are the fragrant varieties. This type gets its name from the sweet scent produced by the plant’s flowers. Unlike yellow hostas, these plants produce flowers in various colors.

They include Summer Fragrance, Sugar and Cream, Honeybells, Royal Standard, Guacamole, Fragrant Bouquet, and Aphrodite hostas. Before you choose the ones that you want for your yard, read up on the varietal so that you know what color flowers to expect. This way, you’ll end up with ones that complement the other flowers in your garden.

3) Green Hostas

There are two main types of green hostas. They are Pearl Lake and Invincible hostas. These plants have been tested to ensure that they can survive in plenty of sunlight. They also produce some very pretty green flowers from August through September and can add a little pizzazz to your garden.

After all, not every plant has green flowers that look so nice with their green leaves. Plus, these hostas tolerate partial shade as well, so you can plant the Hostas in various places throughout your garden.

4) Yellow Variegated Hostas

Yellow Variegated hostas are known for their spectacular flowers. They also tolerate full sun and grow well when planted in it. (For the record, they can handle partial sun just fine as well.)

If you want to plant yellow variegated hostas like Sundance, Inniswood, Gold Standard, and Regal Splendor in your yard, then you need to realize that they can be placed anywhere except for locations that have only full shade. These flowering plants need sunlight in order to grow and bloom properly. Their flowers are quite unique, so consider making them the focal point of your yard.

5) Blue Hostas

The verdict is still somewhat out on blue hostas. These flowering plants may or may not do well in full sun, although many experts believe that they’ll be fine when planted there.

Blue hostas like Blue Angel, Krossa Regal, Halcyon, and Elegans like partial shade (partial sun) the most, but many can tolerate locations with full sunshine. The only way to know for sure is to plant them in full sun and keep a careful eye on them. If they show signs that they are struggling, you can always transplant them elsewhere in your yard.

One to Avoid – White Hostas

Although white hostas are very pretty, thanks to their white flowers and matching mostly white, yet still somewhat green leaves, they won’t grow so well in full sun. Instead, you’ll need to plant them in areas of your yard that have partial shade or even full shade.

In fact, they like full shade so much that they’ll thrive in these locations. You don’t want to place white hostas in full sun, as they’ll begin to wilt and may not even bloom. They could even end up getting sunburned. Remember that white hostas get their name from their leaves, which don’t contain a lot of chlorophyll. This makes them less sun-tolerant than the other types.

How Can You Tell If Your Hostas Have Too Much Sunlight?

Did you know that there are some telltale signs that your hostas are in a location that receives too much sun? The signs to look for include leaves that are beginning to brown at the edges and the tips, as well as leaves that have spots or overall dull coloring.

If you notice these issues pop up on your hostas, then it’s time to move them to a shadier location. Since they are extremely hardy flowers, you won’t have a problem transplanting them. They can handle it.