Hosta Color Variation

Hostas come in a wide variety of colors.  Some hostas are silver on the underside of their leaves and hosta hybridizers have succeeded in introducing red scapes.

The basic hosta colors are green, blue, and yellow. White can be a center or margin accent color but there are no white hostas (with some  Viridescence exceptions). These four colors can appear in any combination of centers, streaks and edges.

Color and Genetics:

Genetics play the most important role in the color of hostas. Genetics determines the leaf’s texture, shine, amount of green chlorophyll and location of any “plastids” that affect leaf color. 

The leaf’s surface texture affects the color reflected off the leaves.   Hostas that are corrugated, have deep veins, and are twisted will cast a different color than hostas with smooth leaves.  Some hostas have different types of wax in the epidural tissue (called the “cutin”) on their leaves that create shiny green leaves or a “glaucus” blue or gray leaves.

Color and External Factors:

• Sunlight:
Hosta June grown in different amounts of sunlight.

H. June with more sun	H. June with more shade

The amount of sunlight a hosta receives and its intensity also determines the color of a hosta.  Too much sun can have a range of effects, including burning, lightening the color (bleaching), browning and shriveling the leaves.  Some hostas such as June (see images)can show drastically different colors based on the amount of sunlight. Hostas prefer the less intense morning sun.  Some varieties, mostly yellow hostas and some green varieties can do well in afternoon sun if they are watered regularly and grown in organic, water-retaining soil.   Blue or gray hostas will revert to a green color as the wax on their leaves melt.  Hostas that do not receive enough sun will eventually shrink in size and die.

Learn more about how sunlight affects hostas in our hostas and sun page.

• Soil:

Hostas grown in soil poor in nitrogen and magnesium can grow less healthy leaves which turn out to be yellower than healthy leaves because both nitrogen and magnesium are needed to create healthy, green chlorophyll.  Growing hostas in soil of pH 7.2 or higher can cause a hosta to have difficulty absorbing iron, manganese, and phosphorus.  An iron-deficient green hosta will turn chlorotic between the veins making a yellow patch.  Iron deficient blue hostas tend to look muddy.

Seasonal color changes in hostas

Seasonal color changes are different than the color change that can be brought on by the amount and intensity of light a hosta is growing in. As an example, Guacomole can appear to be at least three different colors depending upon the amount of sun it is receiving, not because of viridescence, lutescense, or albescence.

A small percentage of hostas predictably change colors during the course of the season. The terminology used to describe these changes are:

• Viridescence: hosta emerges white or yellow, and becomes greener. Some hostas with viridescense include: Amy Elizabeth, Chinese Sunrise, Dawn’s Early Light, Eskimo Pie, Fortunei Albopicta, Gold Edger, Golden Oriole, Guardian Angel, Heart Broken, June Fever, Lemon Frost, Little Sunspot, Manhattan, and Night Before Christmas.
• Lutescense: hosta emerges green or chartreuse and turns to yellow or whitish yellow. August Moon, Bitsy Gold, Bright Glow, Gaiety, Gold Standard, Golden Gate, Golden Scepter, Golden Sculpture, Golden Tiara, Golden Waffles, Grand Canyon, King Tut, Little Aurora, Lunar Magic, Midas Touch, Paradigm, Piedmont Gold, Sea Dream, Shade Master, Solar Flare, Thai Brass,and Zounds.
• Albescence: hostas emerges yellow, yellowish green, or with green areas that turn to near white. A few hostas with albescence are: Celebration, Emerald Crust, Fan Dance, Grand Prize, Paul’s Glory, Red Hot Flash.

Blue Hostas | Variegated Hostas | Yellow Hostas

Fragrant Hostas | Streaked Hostas