With so many hostas available, it can be difficult to determine which plant(s) you want for the garden. To help you get started, here is the American Hosta Society Popularity Poll from 2000. Each year the Society polls its members for their favorite hostas, then develops this "Top 20" list:

Hosta 'Halcyon'
Photo by Jane C. Martin


Hosta 'Francee'
Photo by Jane C. Martin


Hosta 'Regal Splendor'
Photo by Jane C. Martin

1. Hosta 'Sagae'—72" wide x 36" tall. The leaves are large (13�14" long x 10" wide), thick textured, and chalky blue-green with neat gold margins. The flowers are violet. Formerly known as H. 'Fluctuans Variegata'. It was the Hosta of the Year for 2000.
2. Hosta 'Sum and Substance'—60" wide x 30" tall. The leaves have a glossy texture and grow upright. The chartreuse leaf color changes to gold with exposure to more sunlight. Very pest resistant. The white bell-shaped flowers appear in late August.
3. Hosta 'Great Expectations'—58" wide x 29" tall. The leaves are round and puckered with good substance. They have an extremely wide, irregular margin of blue and green enveloping a light yellow-cream center. The flowers are a dense mass of white blooms in summer.
4. Hosta 'June'—36" wide x 15" tall. The leaves are 6" long x 4" wide, with a nice gold center and blue-green margins. The leaves have very thick substance. This plant was Hosta of the Year for 2001.
5. Hosta 'Patriot'—50" wide x 23" tall. The green leaves have bold white margins that are 1/2 to 1" in width. The color of the margin will turn from creamy yellow in May to white during the growing season.
6. Hosta 'Paul's Glory'—55" wide x 25" tall. The yellow leaves have a blue-green margin. The centers of the leaves are chartreuse in late May, then slowly change to bright gold by mid-July. With more sun, the gold lightens. The blue-green margin in early June becomes dark green in mid-July. The flowers are white and bell-shaped.
7. Hosta 'Gold Standard'—3' wide x 18" tall. This is a vigorous grower. The leaves have a dark green edge with a golden center. The pale lavender flowers bloom in mid-July to mid-August.
8. Hosta montana 'Aureomarginata'—6' wide x 27" tall. The large leaves are 15" long x 8" wide. The leaf margin is bright gold with a green center. The plant holds its color all season.
9. Hosta 'Krossa Regal'—6' wide x 36" tall. The heavy, leathery, blue-green leaves are slug resistant. It is the most used, most planted, large blue hosta used today. It has continually ranked near the top in U.S. popularity for years.
10. Hosta 'Fragrant Bouquet'—26" wide x 18" tall. The leaves are light green with a yellowish-white margin. The large, funnel-shaped, white flowers are fragrant.
11. Hosta 'Guacamole'—54" wide x 24" tall. The leaves are 11" long x 8" wide, shiny, and yellowish-gold with a dark green, wide margin. The leaves are very shiny both above and below, and are moderately folded with a smooth margin. The flowers are near white and are very fragrant.
12. Hosta 'Blue Angel'—85" wide x 36" tall. The leaves are huge (18" long x 12" wide) and have heavy substance. Flowers are a glossy white.
13. Hosta sieboldiana 'Frances Williams'—48" wide x 36" tall. Giant blue-green leaves have a yellowish-green irregular edging, and this cultivar has pale lavender flowers. The irregular margins grow wider as the plant ages. The leaf edges often show some browning or burning due to heat and sunlight, and is a genetic factor. This plant excels many others in overall appearance and appeal.
14. Hosta 'Halcyon'—38" wide x 20" tall. The blue-green leaves are 8" long x 5" wide, are slightly wavy, have a smooth texture and heavy substance. The flowers are blue-lavender in midseason.
15. Hosta 'Love Pat'—20" wide x 22" tall. The nearly round leaves, 9.5" x 9", have a heavy texture and have a very intense blue color. The leaves are very deeply cupped when mature. This plant tends to be slug resistant.
16. Hosta 'Striptease'—50" wide x 20" tall. The leaves have a large band of green on the edge, with a yellowish-greenish-gold center. Between the center and the green edge, there is a thin white strip, which seems to emphasize the intensity of the colors. The thin white strip gives the plant its unusual name.
17. Hosta 'Regal Splendor'—40" wide x 36" tall. The leaves are bluish-gray with a margin that is creamy white to creamy yellow. The 20�30 light lavender, bell-shaped flowers are fertile and funnel shaped. The bloom scapes may grow to 60" tall.
18. Hosta sieboldians 'Elegans'—48" wide x 36" tall. The large leaves are blue-green in color. The heavy glaucous coating on the leaves tends to wear away throughout the season from rain and irrigation, becoming greener later in the season. The flowers appear early in the season and are near white.
19. Hosta 'Sun Power'—70" wide x 28" tall. The wavy yellow leaves are 10" long x 7.5" wide. The lavender flowers bloom in midseason.
20. Hosta 'Francee'—51" wide x 21" tall. The dark green, heart-shaped leaves have a clean white margin. The funnel-shaped flowers are lavender and the scapes are 36" tall. This plant makes a choice white edged hosta for every garden.

JUNE is fourth! But my absolute FAV!