I have a spot I would like to place a Hosta.
I've never grown any before so I'm not familiar with any of the growth habits.
I want the plant to be in the 14" tall x 20" wide range or smaller.

Their is just a head spinning, dizzying, cross-eyed amount of Hostas...
I really like the looks of 'Fire and Ice'.
I see the mature plant size ranging anywhere from 8"t x 12"w to 22"t x 30"w on the web.
I know it's hard to pin point the size a plant will grow, but this seems to be a a huge range that makes it very difficult to determine if this would be the correct plant for my location.
By any chance does anyone here grow this plant and have a mature one to get a size? (Wishful thinking I know. LOL)

I guess some other plants I've been eyeing, most small size, maybe depending on where you look:
Lakeside Little Tuft Hosta
Mouse Trap Hosta

Diamond Necklace Hosta

As you can tell I like white centers with green margins.
It's just so hard when all these plants on different sites just have such varying sizes listed...

Maybe I just get something really small, like 'Pandora's Box' and just keep dividing the plant to fill in the area I want to cover (just wish it was a little taller)... OMG my head hurts...

Any suggestions to make my life even more complicated?

Pandora's Box won't get 14" tall, if you can grow it at all. I read that a lot of people have given up on that particular one. Take a look at the thread in this hosta forum named Hostas 2022. ViolaAnn has posted some very nice pictures of her White Christmas. Most of the pictures have the names of the hosta posted with the pictures. Good luck!

Does the area get morning sun? The white centered ones seem to need it. Fire and Ice is one that I have never been able to get any growth on. And Pandora's Box stays a tiny little thing for me. I agree with Rose and look at Ann's White Christmas.

Yes, morning sun and late evening.
I saw the White Christmas. Problem is what I see is it gets 3' wide when I looked it up.

Those measurements are not necessarily accurate for everyone. If you're interested in either of those, just give one a try. They usually take a few years to reach maturity.

They really never stop growing. If the chosen hosta outgrows its space divide it! It will not be mature size for possibly years. I think most of the hostas classified as "small", will fit the bill.

Little Treasure is a small plant that's been a well behaved in my garden.

So I was at my brother in law place today.
I took a look at the small hostas he has by the walkway. Hey these have the pattern I like.
I asked how long he has had them, he directed me to his wife who told me they are 20 years old.
They look to be a little smaller then what I would be looking for.
I was not going to ask if I could take a small division, but I noticed the flower stalk has some leaves forming on it. I asked if he cared if I cut them off and try to see if I can start a plant from it. I know this can be done with certain plants.
I did a search and does not look like anything that is discussed well on the web. Most likely because divisions are so easy to do.
Anyway I don't know if anyone has tried starting a plant from a flower stem cutting hat has a leaf and what the success was.
I figure I've got nothing to lose, so I will be trying it.
Figure I will be leaving an inch or 2 on each side of the leaf and experiment with water and soil.

I think it can be done but you need to tear the leaf with the stem from the rhizome so that it has a little root tissue attached.

Rose1656 said: Pandora's Box won't get 14" tall, if you can grow it at all. I read that a lot of people have given up on that particular one. Take a look at the thread in this hosta forum named Hostas 2022. ViolaAnn has posted some very nice pictures of her White Christmas. Most of the pictures have the names of the hosta posted with the pictures. Good luck!

You say you are in a zone 7. That is a great deal warmer than my 5a. What are the growing conditions where you would like to grow the hosta? Even in my zone, hostas with white centres can be difficult to grow well as the white leaves tend to melt out if they get too much sun, yet hostas don't really like to be in full shade. I got very lucky with where I placed 'Loyalist' and 'White Christmas' and I still haven't found a good place for 'Hans'. It melted out where I wanted to grow it and is now in a pot. I'm able to grow 'Morning Light' east of my house and with our long, cool, spring this year it's looking good, but it doesn't always do as well.

As far as size, it's difficult. The hostas I have growing close to some of my trees never get as large as they would in ideal growing conditions because the trees are competing. And some hostas grow very quickly and while they are rated as small, they will quickly produce a large mound, while others have a much slower growth rate. So, I would start by carefully examining the area where you want to grow a hosta. And then look at what might successfully grow there.

elgecko said: So I was at my brother in law place today.
I took a look at the small hostas he has by the walkway. Hey these have the pattern I like.
I asked how long he has had them, he directed me to his wife who told me they are 20 years old.
They look to be a little smaller then what I would be looking for.
I was not going to ask if I could take a small division, but I noticed the flower stalk has some leaves forming on it. I asked if he cared if I cut them off and try to see if I can start a plant from it. I know this can be done with certain plants.
I did a search and does not look like anything that is discussed well on the web. Most likely because divisions are so easy to do.
Anyway I don't know if anyone has tried starting a plant from a flower stem cutting hat has a leaf and what the success was.
I figure I've got nothing to lose, so I will be trying it.
Figure I will be leaving an inch or 2 on each side of the leaf and experiment with water and soil.

Your brother-in-law has 'Undulata Univittata' and it's a really old fashioned hosta. But you won't be able to take cuttings from it successfully. In order to propogate, hostas, you MUST have a root division with some crown material which means digging up the plant and dividing it. However, if you look around you may be able to find someone who has that hosta who will share some with you. Look also for 'Undulata' but NOT 'Undulata Albomarginata' which will have a white margin, not a white centre. You might also find it called just plain "medio variegata' or something similar. An incorrect name, but commonly seen. Because it's an old variety, it shouldn't cost you a fortune to find some.

The 'Little Treasure' posted is a very pretty little hosta but it will stay smaller than you want. Mine is mature and I doubt it's 12" in diameter. And I think it would be unusual to get a 'White Christmas' to grow as large as you want no matter how large they say it will grow. Mine is about 18 years old and is only 12-13" diameter.

BTW, there are lists of hostas that fit various criteria that you might like to look at. http://www.hostalists.org/ "The Hosta Lists represent a compilation of 109 individual lists which group hosta cultivars and species according to various characteristics. These lists have been compiled over a twenty-two-year period and are updated annually. Containing over 23,000 entries, this is the most complete and accurate collection of lists available. Hosta names are faithfully and carefully checked for accuracy against the The Hosta Registry and The Hostapedia: An Encyclopedia of Hostas (Mark R. Zilis, 2009). The Hosta Lists have displayed their usefulness in years past and will continue to be an invaluable and indispensable resource for gardeners everywhere. "

And if you wish to look at more hostas, there's a link below to my own picture galleries where I've been tracking my hostas for 14 years.

It will be on the north side of my house which would receive some early morning and late evening sun. Probably around 3 no more then 4 hrs of sunlight total. All afternoon it would be in the shade of the house.

There are so many that have very similar looking characteristics.
I checked the local hardware stores that carry a few. Mostly the larger ones.
I did find a place an hour away from me stating to carry around 400 varieties.
http://thehostahideaway.com/
Of coarse I went to their Facebook page and saw one with a green center white edges I liked a lot. Hosta 'Diamonds are Forever'. Was thinking of maybe running out this weekend.

I knew when I found 1 somewhere locally I would probably pick it up.
Had some errands to run today that took me close to the local nursery, so of coarse I ended up their.

Last one of these they had in stock, 'Rainbow's End'


I'd say the 2nd on my list I was making of white center hostas I was looking for.
The #1 plant was 'Fire & Ice' and tied with it since it looks so similar was 'Remember Me'.

From what I'm reading, I should wait till early fall to plant this.

Steve, the center leaves of Rainbows End is representative of the hosta, not the outside leaves if you were still considering the white centers, I usually leave mine in the containers until the fall, for me that means planting in late Aug/Sept, I have planted as late as October

Rainbows end is a yellow and green hosta that gets some creamy white late in the season. Might be because that one is potted and was most likely getting to much sun.

This is what I've read.

This unique hosta exhibits incredibly variegated, shiny foliage. The bright yellow leaves of good substance have dark green margins that jet into the center, and the center brightens to creamy white in summer. It forms a medium sized mound of attractive foliage in the landscape.

I read where some other hostas change leaf color from a yellow to white in summer. Thought it would be neat to have even more variety of color on the leaves. I figure I was getting more bang for my buck.
I saw the white leaves and figured they were the oldest leaves and we are into summer now. The yellow were new / young leaves that would not have changed color yet and maybe won't before the seasons over.
I do prefer the white, (my wife probably would prefer the yellow. She's not that much into plants anyway. She just likes flowers.) I just don't have to have it white all the time. Hopefully where I will place this, the leaves will get white like some are now. I think it would be neat towards the end of the year it would have white old leaves and yellow new leaves on it, as it's showing now.

It is a very nice plant , I think all of us have it.

'Rainbow's End' is a nice, SMALL, plant. I consider mine streaked as there really isn't another good way to describe the leaves. At 13 years old, it's about 16" diameter. Tough as nails though and about as slug-proof as you can get.


BTW, I put together an album of the white-centred varieties in MY garden a couple of years ago. I need to add one or two, but you might find it useful to take a look. You'll find it at: https://violaann.smugmug.com/G...

Thanks for all the help everyone.

@ViolaAnn / or anyone else growing this plant.
Does your 'Rainbow's End' change color in the summer to white?
I guess this is dependent on how much sun it gets if that will happen?
I starting to wonder if I will have enough for it to change.
Hearing the size being 16" at 13 years is great. That would be the perfect size.

What size does your 'Fire & Ice' or 'Remember Me' get to?

Took at look at your photos, very nice plants.... if I was able to get more then 1, my decision would not be so tough. LOL

Both have been very poor growers for me , might be 5 inches tall and at tops that wide after 4 years. Both have been moved this year in hope of them doing something.