How To Grow... Hostas

If you want great groundcover, hostas are ideal. Anne Swithinbank looks at some of the varieties available, from miniatures to giants, and how to deal with slugs and snails

- Anne Swithinbank

PLANTAIN lily seems like a humble name for plants in the hosta tribe, as their magnificent leaves make such luxuriant groundcover. The 70 species have their roots in Japan, China, Korea and parts of Russia, but mutation and hybridisation has brought us thousands of cultivars. Leaves taper elegantly, are heart-shaped, boldly ovate or rounded, and plants range from miniatures such as ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ and ‘Cracker Crumbs’ at 6in (15cm) to giants like H. sieboldiana at 3ft (1m) tall and ‘Empress Wu’ at 4ft (1.2m). Variegations of cream, silver, yellow or gold brighten leaf margins or splash the centres of blades.