Hostas for Warm Climates

by
Tony Avent
(8/1/2006 update)

Most hostas must have a minimum winter dormancy requirement of 30 days at temperatures below 43 degrees F. In warmer southern regions, the hostas that perform their best are those that have lower than normal winter dormancy requirements. The required winter dormancy for a hosta is genetic and is based on the part of the world where the species involved in a particular hybrid originated (warm climate versus cold). The Hosta species which have evolved in the warmest climates and therefore have the lowest chill requirements include Hosta clausa, H. gracillima, H. kikutii, H. longipes, H. montana (southern forms), H. nakaiana, H. plantaginea, H. rupifraga, H. sieboldii, H. ventricosa, H. venusta, and H. yingeri. While all hostas will emerge the following spring after a low-chill winter, they are usually quite weak and proceed to deteriorate during the subsequent season.

The easiest way to determine the dormancy requirements is to observe which hostas emerge the earliest in spring. There is generally a 75 day emergence date spread between hosta cultivars in spring. Below is a list of those that emerge extremely early and would make good candidates for trialing in warm climates where there is little or no winter chilling.

Beside each cultivar name are the low-chill species (where known) from which they are derived.

Green Foliage

clausa (species)

'Crystal Chimes' (yingeri)

'Fall Bouquet' (longipes)

'Fourth of July' (kikutii)

'Hirao Splendor' (kikutii)

'Honeybells' (plantaginea)

'Invincible' (plantaginea)

'Jade Cascade' (montana)

laevigata (species)

'Old Faithful' (plantaginea)

'Otome No Ka' (unknown)

pachyscapa (species)

'Purple Lady Fingers' (clausa)

pycnophylla (species)

'Potomac Pride' (yingeri)

'Raspberry Sorbet' (rupifraga)

'Rippled Honey' (plantaginea)

'Savannah' (plantaginea, sieboldii)

'Stingray'(kikutii, montana)

'Sweet Bo Peep' (plantaginea)

takahashii 'Gosan' (species)

'Teaspoon' (venusta)

tibae (species)

'Tortifrons' (longipes)

tsushimensis (species)

venusta (species)

'Waving Wuffles' (ventricosa)

yingeri (species)

Variegated Foliage

'American Sweetheart' (unknown)

'Anne Arett' (sieboldii)

'Bob Olsen' (unknown)

'Carolina Sunshine' (tibae)

'Cathedral Windows' (plantaginea)

'Cherish' (venusta)

'Chickadee' (plantaginea)

'Crested Surf' (sieboldii)

'Diamond Tiara' (nakaiana)

'Diana Remembered' (plantaginea)

'Dixie Chick' (plantaginea)

'Ebb Tide' (montana)

'Emerald Tiara' (nakaiana)

'Emily Dickinson' (plantaginea)

'Fan Dance' (sieboldii)

'Fatal Attraction' (kikutii)

'Fragrant Bouquet' (plantaginea)

'Gala' (longipes)

'Golden Tiara' (nakaiana)

'Grand Prize' (nakaiana)

'Grand Tiara' (nakaiana)

'Guacamole' (plantaginea)

'Harpoon' (yingeri)

'Holy Mole' (plantaginea)

'Iron Gate Delight' (plantaginea)

kikutii 'Kifukurin' (kikutii)

'Kifukurin Ko Mame' (unknown)

'Korean Snow' (yingeri)

'Masquerade' (gracillima)

'Ming Treasure' (plantaginea)

'Mistress Mabel' (plantaginea)

'Miss Saigon' (plantaginea)

montana 'Aureomarginata' (montana)

'Peedee Gold Flash' (sieboldii)

'Platinum Tiara' (nakaiana)

'Red Hot Flash' (sieboldii)

'Sea Thunder' (unknown)

'Scooter' (sieboldii)

'Sea Thunder' (unknown)

'So Sweet' (plantaginea)

'Stained Glass' (plantaginea)

'Stiletto' (sieboldii)

'Sugar and Cream' (plantaginea, sieboldii)

'Summer Fragrance' (plantaginea, sieboldii)

'Sweetie' (plantaginea)

'Teeny Weeny Bikini' (unknown)

'Verna Jean' (sieboldii)

'Warwick Edge' (nakaiana)

'Waving Winds' (sieboldii)

'White Necklace' (unknown)

Gold Foliage

'Birchwood Parky's Gold' (nakaiana)

'Chartreuse Wiggles' (sieboldii)

'Fried Bananas' (plantaginea)

'Gold Scepter' (nakaiana)

longipes 'Golden Dwarf' (species)

'Sweet Tater Pie' (yingeri, nakaiana)

Blue Foliage

'Baby Bunting' (venusta)

'Blue Belle' (longipes)

'Blue Blush' (longipes)

'Silver Bowl' (unknown)