I can't give you a direct answer, but the hosta library has a list of sun tolerant types: http://www.hostalibrary.org/lists/size-main.html

Just click on "sun tolerant". You can check their colors in the photos there as well, although some might give you hints by their name.

bkay

Here is a link to the list of Sun Tolerant Hostas at the Hosta Library.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sun Tolerant Hosta

I asked this question earlier this year and was told to seek out Squash Casserole.
I planted it this year and it's slightly crispy, but that could be more of a function of not being established yet. It did look good until about 2 weeks ago, when many other hostas started looking crispy.

My choices would be August Moon, Fried Bananas, and Sum and Substance. I would not include Sun Power, although I see it is on the list of Sun Tolerant Hostas at the Hosta Library, referred to above. I guess with a lot of watering you can keep it going through the dog days, but mine (beautiful through July) has fried in the August heat.

A relatively new one for me is Golden Waffles, a hosta that takes direct sun and so far is absolutely beautiful. It turns the same real yellow you find in Sun Power. I love it.

Steve

Aunt Lou, in zone 5 you will probably be able to plant some in the sun. However, I want to warn anyone that in warmer zones the list is not as large. I am in zone 7 (as Ken says, "the tropics") and even plants that are listed as sun tolerant will burn easily for me. I keep all my hosta in dappled shade.

chris

Depends on weather too... and watering of course... we were stuck here in KY with more 90+ degree days and 70+ degree nights this year than we've seen in decades... Usually we have hot spells and cold fronts... this year it seemed like the high pressure systems would always meet the cold fronts and kill them before they made it our way... Though you speak of morning sun.. which confuses me... just about every hosta... minus those notorious for burning...FW to name one... should do extremely well in just morning sun...I would think Gold Standard would thrive in the situation you explained... are you sure you are watering adequately? Are you keeping the top 12 inches of soil moist? Hosta are hardy yes..and will live burnt.. but they are not drought resistant plants... and will burn if the ground isn't kept wet... if you are watering two inches..minus the rain count..a week.. this should be plenty... once a week... in the morning.. if you are watering with the late morning sun hitting the plants.. the watering will burn the plant... to keep the plants in their best shape you should try to only water the ground and not the leaves....this will keep some wear off the plants and some of the wax on your blues...watering in the morning is best for aeration, helping to prevent fungus... since the surface will dry quicker during the warmer temps and sun...watering at night leaves the surface damp..which also gives slugs something easier to travel over...

Sorry I tend to ramble on with what knowledge I think I have lol... Good luck with that...
John

Aunt Lou, I have seen 'Gold Standard' on lists of sun-tolerant Hostas, but if kept in mostly full sun it has always looked quite ratty for me by the middle of August.

IMHO, how sun-tolerant any given Hosta is depends more on latitude and altitude than the zone you're in. It's the intensity of the sun's rays that counts. The further south and the higher up you go, the lower the sun-tolerance. In my zone 8, at sea level, just a frog's hair north of the 49th parallel, my plants will see a less intense sun than yours will at a latitude of somewhere between 41st and 38th parallel with a mean altitude of 853 ft above sea level for OH.

Having said all that, taking a look at the members of the Hyacinthina family in my yard, they all start to look quite ratty by the first week of September and I'm starting to think that it's all part of their genes. For me the whole Hyacinthina family is the one that rises last and goes down first.

Pieter

Wow! That is one of the things I love most about GW. So much information at the touch of a keyboard! Thanks everyone sooo much! This has given me much to think upon. I never even thought about my watering techniques - - -not to mention how much water they really do need. I'm kind of an old gardener but fairly new to hostas so appreciate all of this advice. Thanks especially for the sun tolerant list!

mmmmmmmm! That Golden Waffles sounds good enough to eat! ;-)

aunt lou

I am in zone 4/5 in the interior of B.C. We have hot summers and cold winters. We are 500 ft. above sea level so somewhere in between you and Pieter on the coast.

It is generally in the 80's and 90's all summer with little rain. I am able to water as much as I need to becasuse we are on a well that never seems to run out. I've been gradully moving plants into more and more sun because of the need for more room and also to encourage those not doing well to actually grow.

Over all I've been surprised and pleased that most plants grow well in the sun or at least hold their own until late in the season. The best in my experience are:

Abiqua Recluse - an amazing gold that glows and catches the eye from across the garden.

Paradigam - I also have a Pauls Glory in the sun but Paradigam holds up better.
Inniswood- does just as well as Paradigam but the two are distinctive enough that I would always want both.

Touch of Class and June - both look perfect and still have some blue color showing.

Old Glory - the color is very light but no sun damage after 3 years in the hot afternoon sun.

Carolina Blue - still blue

Guacamole - grows well but color is muted
Holy Mole - I moved it into more shade since it didn't seem to look as well as the others did
Stained Glass - really beautiful but mine is in a bit less afternoon sun than the others

Carolina Sunshine - just noticed the margin is turning orange, wonderful!

Sunpower family: I agree that Sunpower in lots of direct sun does get crispy about now. Some of it's sports like Abba Dabba Do, Paradise Power, Zippity Do Dah, Atlantis etc. hold up much better in sun.

A last yellow that I'm growing to love more and more is Aspen Gold. It's a slow grower but the round, pebbled leaves are really distinctive.

The key for me is water. When we are having a really hot spell I leave the water on for days at a time. (drip system). That is for the ones in afternoon/evening sun at the height of summer.

I have also grown some hostas in pots on a west facing balcony. The sun blasts them from about one or two o'clock until it sets at ten. It's like being in an oven. What worked the best was placing them in a dish of water to see them through the day. I made sure they were always sitting in water over the summer. A Patriot there looked perfect all summer while one in the ground with mid day sun but late afternoon shade looked ratty by fall.

Good luck.

I want to thank everyone again for all of the information you have provided me with. I decided to put Paul's Glory in that spot as its lighter colors did not seem to be coming out in full shade. This spot gets a little sun in the morning but perhaps the reason Gold Standard burnt there was my watering technique? I hope it [and I] will do better next year. Looking forward to next year and more hostas!

aunt lou

I agree with mctavish6 about water...definitely the deciding factor in my SW WA state Zone 7 gardens. I can tell at the end of summer who had enough water and who suffered from periods of drought. Definitely, the wetter they stay, the longer they last. And every one of my hostas in pots on the deck are still looking good, whether they were listed as sun tolerant or not, because I keep them moist all summer. The one that looks the best is 'Sweet Thing,' and I am guessing it is because she is in a pot with no drainage so has had the most water. From Cape Horn

Honestly for me, I don't recommend hostas in sun , in our area they usually burn we just get too hot sometimes in the summer months, morning sun works great with afternoon shade to dappled shade and they look beautiful .. I have yet to see a gorgeous Hosta in sun in our area..

However this can be done I would think in cooler summer areas easily.. just doesn't work for me and don't recommend in my area

I would say depends on where you live and your summers , how hot are they?? and go from there..

you will know if you see crispy burned ugly leaves appearing , after you plant into the summer , then too much sun..

Have fun and happy gardening

I love Hostas!

Diane

Here is a link that might be useful: Greenhouse Gardening Blog

I have summer breeze and it looks awesome all summer with late afternoon sun.