Hostas

Beautiful blue-green leaves of the ‘June’ Hosta

With its many varieties of leaf color and ability to grow well in shade, the Hosta is a popular perennial in northern gardens - zones 3-9. Although it is a non-native plant originating from East Asia, the hosta’s blossoms do provide some minor pollinator benefits.

Small leaf ‘Golden Tiara’ Hosta

Gardeners love Hosta for its ability to cover large areas of bare ground in shady conditions. It does provide excellent cover for frogs, toads, insects and small mammals amongst its foliage.

Large Hosta garden covering a shady bank at the Ulysses S. Grant Home in Galena, Illinois.

Hosta is not carefree though. It is a favorite browsing food for deer, rabbits and slugs creating a constant battle to protect the plants all summer. There are some native alternatives for shady areas that are carefree. They are not as showy as Hosta but do provide attractive ground cover as well as integrate better with local ecosystems.

Wild Ginger is similar to a small-leafed Hosta. Grown in shady, organic soil, it spreads nicely and transplants easily.

Coral Bells (Heuchera) in the foreground are low-maintenance, come in a variety of colors and pair nicely with wild ginger, ferns and hosta. These coral bells have self-seeded into the boulder wall creating a wall of plants. Their small, bell-shaped blossoms attract many pollinators.

Want to cover a north/east facing shady bank? Cultivate a garden of ostrich ferns. Every fall dump leaves from the yard onto the ferns to boost their growth.