Hostas for Houston

The Lawn and Gardening Tips website states that Houston lies in USDA Hardiness Zone 9, with an average minimal temperature each year that falls between 20 to 25 degrees. This makes Houston one of the warmer big cities in the United States, and requires that you take special care with plants such as hostas, which can be heat sensitive. Hosta is a perennial that you will discover is easy to grow and maintain, with its main attraction being its large and sometimes very colorful leaves.

American Sweetheart

The hosta species called American Sweetheart can survive in the extremes of much colder climates than Houston’s, so it will do well in the Texas city. This hosta features large green leaves that have a white central portion. It can attain heights of 2 feet and spreads out between 2 and 3 feet, so you have to allow for this when you plant multiples.

Like most hostas, the American Sweetheart will grow better if the soil is moist but well drained. It can take limited exposure to the morning sun, but by the time the Houston afternoon rolls around it, you must have it where it will be in the full shade. By the middle of summer, this hosta will produce lavender flowers on erect stalks, which will often attract bumblebees. This hosta can border woodlands and serve as an edging plant. Water it as often as possible to offset the Houston heat.

Touch of Class

If you desire a low-maintenance hosta to spice up your patio area then the Touch of Class variety may be a good choice. This type of hosta works well for Zone 9 but does require more shade than some other hostas. It can receive only partial sun; otherwise, it will start to wilt in the hot Houston summers. The added appeal of a yellow stripe down the center of its dark blue leaves, along with lavender flowers, makes this hosta popular. However, the Ohio State University Horticulture and Crop Sciences website states that the blue on a hosta such as this is in reality a waxy coating that just appears blue. Houston's summertime temperatures can melt this coating off if you keep this hosta in the sun. It grows to about 2 feet high at the very most and does not spread out as much as many hostas will, expanding to about 20 inches wide when mature.

Fireworks

For a much smaller hosta with unique leaves that are very different from the typical wide-leafed variety, Fireworks hosta is an option. It only reaches about 10 inches high and 8 inches wide, so it is a possibility for smaller Houston gardens where space is at a premium. The white leaves have margins of green. The leaves are quite narrow and extend upward rather than outward. The flowers are purple when they finally bloom in the summer. Fireworks hosta needs to be in the shade for the most part, so keep it out of the direct sun, especially in a hot city such as Houston.