Hosta Companion Plants: Full List of Pairings
Hosta Companion Plants: Full List of Pairings
Hostas are a fantastic low-maintenance perennial to grow in shady areas around your yard and garden, but whether you’re limited on space or just want to maximize the area’s potential, you may wonder what else can grow nearby.
Here’s a full list of hosta companion plants. I’ve focused mostly on flowers and low-maintenance greenery, since hostas are typically planted in flower gardens and around other perennials for an easy-to-maintain showcase or border.
Basic Care Tips for Hostas
While there are many different varieties, hosta plants love shade and high-quality well-drained soil that’s kept consistently moist. They require very little yearly care other than weeding, which can also be kept to a minimum by planting ground cover or mulching around them.
While they don’t have many pests, slugs and snails can be an issue. Keep an eye out for invasions.
Full List of Hosta Companion Plants
Here are all the best companion plants for hostas. I’ve noted zones for many perennial plants, and the “and up” just means they’re hardy through at least zone 7, which is the warmest zone in the northeast.
You can look beyond this list too and see what’s available at your favorite online gardening retailer or gardening catalog. When trying to decide if they’d be a good fit for each other, keep in mind that hostas love shade, so ideally any companion should either be larger than the hostas and offer shade for them OR also be a shade-lover. In some cases, low ground cover plants enjoy shade so much that they benefit from the extra shade the hostas provide!
You should also check your particular variety of hosta for its water and soil needs, and find other plants that like similar conditions.
Perennial Flower Companion Plants for Hostas
Alchemilla – This plant enjoys shade and grows well around hostas. It’s hardy in zones 3 and up.
Aruncus – This tall perennial is native and grows well in shade. It’s hardy in zones 3 and up.
Astilbe – Astilbe also enjoys shade and grows in zones 3 and up.
Azaleas – Azaleas grow very large and can offer shade for your hostas. The hardiest varieties grow in zones 3 and up.
Barrenwort – This fellow shade-lover blooms in early spring before hostas really take off, and it works well as a ground cover around the base of hostas once the hostas begin growing. It’s hardy in zones 5 and up.
Bergenia – This flower loves shade and grows well near hostas in zones 4 and up.
Bleeding Heart – Bleeding hearts enjoy partial shade and grow nicely alongside hostas. They’re hardy in zones 3 and up.
Brunnera – Brunneras love shade and grow well around hostas in zones 3 and up.
Bugbane – Bugbane is native to the northeast and grows well in shade. It’s hardy in zones 4 and up.
Bugleweed – This perennial offers ground cover around the base of hostas and can tolerate extreme shade. It can take over, so keep it in check. It’s hardy in zones 4 and up.
Clematis – Clematis is a climbing perennial that blooms throughout the year. It tolerates some shade and can offer extra shade to hostas due to its height. It’s hardy in zones 3 and up.
Coral Bells – Coral bells, or heuchera, also enjoy growing in a shade garden and work well planted near hostas. They have colorful foliage that dresses up the green hosta. They are hardy in zones 3 and up.
Cranesbill – Cranesbill grows well in sun and shade and does well with hostas when kept in check. It grows in zones 3 and up.
Creeping Jenny – This ground cover perennial makes a great pairing with hostas as long as it is maintained and not allowed to take over. It grows in zones 3 and up.
Cyclamen, Daffodils, Muscari, Scilla, Snowdrops, Tulips, and Other Early Spring Favorites – If your hostas are planted underneath small deciduous trees or an open bed that offers sunlight in early spring, you can grow these early spring bulbs nearby and enjoy them before the hostas take over in late spring. Keep in mind that they like sun, so if your hostas are grown in complete shade, the bulbs won’t thrive.
Daylilies – If you’ve planted your hostas in an area that does get some direct sunlight in the morning or afternoon, you can plant daylilies nearby. These are hardy in zones 3 and up.
Foamflower – This unusual spring flower enjoys shade and can be planted around hostas. It’s hardy in zones 4 and up.
Forget-Me-Nots – Forget-me-nots make great companions for hostas, working as ground cover in a mass planting and enjoying the same moist soil that hostas do. They’re hardy in zones 3 and up.
Hellebore – Also known as Lenten roses, hellebores love shade and grow well in similar soil conditions to hostas. Since they bloom in late winter, their growing season is over by the time hostas arrive. They’re hardy in zones 4 and up.
Hepatica – Hepatica also loves shade and will bloom before hostas arrive. It’s hardy in zones 4 and up.
Heucherella – Heucherella enjoys full shade and grows well around hostas. It’s hardy in zones 4 and up.
Hydrangeas – Hydangeas can offer shade for your hostas and make an excellent companion plant for them. They can grow in zones 3 and up.
Jacob’s Ladder – This shade-lover grows well around hostas in zones 3 and up.
Leopard Plant – This fellow shade lover can be planted near hostas in zones 4 and up.
Liriope – Liriope grows well in a hosta garden and enjoys full shade. You can grow it in zones 5 and up.
Lungwort – This early bloomer can be grown around the base of hostas to help with weed control in zones 3 and up.
Monkshood – Monkshood enjoys partial shade and can be planted around hostas in zones 3 and up.
Primrose – Primroses grow well with hostas if the hostas are kept in a damp, shady area. These flowers are hardy in zones 4 and up.
Siberian Bugloss – This fellow shade-lover grows well near hostas and is hardy in zones 3 and up.
Spigelia – This flower enjoys shade and grows well near hostas in zones 5 and up.
Solomon’s Seal – This fellow shade-lover grows well around hostas in zones 3 and up.
Spiderwort – Spiderwort grows well in many light conditions, including full shade, making it a great companion for hostas. It can grow in zones 3 and up.
Sweet Woodruff – This fellow shade lover can offer ground cover around hostas, but it does require some upkeep to prevent spreading. It’s hardy in zones 4 and up.
Toad Lily – Toad lilies enjoy full shade and grow in zones 4 and up.
Violets – True to their name, violets are tiny purple flowers that make great ground cover around hostas, since both are shade perennials. They can be grown in zones 5 and up.
Yellow Corydalis – This smaller perennial loves shade and grows well around hostas, but it can be difficult to control if you aren’t vigilant. It grows in zones 5 and up.
Annual Flower Companion Plants for Hostas
Alyssum – With its delicate white flowers, alyssum makes a great ground cover around hostas in mass plantings, since it also likes shade.
Begonias – Begonias enjoy areas with afternoon shade, making them good companions for spaces near (but not directly at the base of) hostas. Wax begonias are true annuals that are easy to care for and die back on their own, while tuberous begonias can be dug up each fall and overwintered to be replanted the following year.
Pansies – Pansies make a good hosta companion when planted on the south side of less-shaded hosta beds. They prefer more sun than hostas.
Vinca – Annual vinca makes a great ground cover around hostas
Other Hosta Companion Plants
Chives, Wild Garlic, and Decorative Alliums – While you don’t want to grow your onions in with the hostas (it would disturb their roots) you can grow other perennial alliums like chives and perennial allium flowers nearby, since their strong scent may help repel snails and slugs.
Dogwood – Dogwood shrubs can be planted in full sun or shade to begin with, and they grow tall enough to shade any hostas planted underneath them. They’re hardy in zones 3 and up.
Ferns – The original shade-loving plant, ferns make great companion plants to any hosta planted in an area that receives lots of water. Depending on the variety, many are hardy in zones 3 and up.
Hakone Grass – This ornamental grass can help prevent weeds and enjoys shade. It grows to around the same height as hostas and is hardy in zones 5 and up.
Sedge – This fluffy plant looks a bit like Cousin Itt and grows well in shade around hostas. Grow it in zones 5 and up.
Shredded Umbrella Plant – This unusual plant loves shade and grows well around hostas in zones 3 and up.
Yews – Yews offer evergreen appeal and can help offer added shade to your hostas in zones 4 and up.
FAQs About Hosta Companion Plants
What are the best plant companions for hostas?
Some of the best companions for hostas include other shade-loving plants or shade providers like coral bells, hydrangeas, alyssum, decorative alliums, and more.
What perennials grow well with hostas?
Many flowering and non-flowering perennials grow well with hostas, including coral bells, hydrangeas, bleeding hearts, astilbe, azaleas, and forget-me-nots.
Do hostas spread and multiply?
Hostas generally won’t spread or multiply without assistance, unlike iris or lilies.
Can you plant multiple hostas together?
Yes, you can easily grow multiple varieties of hostas together in a dedicated hosta bed or garden! This is one of the easiest companion planting pairs to make.
Where should you not plant hostas?
Hostas shouldn’t be planted anywhere with too much sun or poorly-draining soil.
How do you plant hostas for ground cover?
To use hostas as ground cover around larger shrubs and climbing plants, plant one or two hostas around a foot away from the base of the original plant. Depending on the variety you choose, there could be more or less plants or space. Consult the package the hostas came in for more specific details.
Does garlic protect hostas?
Perennial alliums like wild garlic and chives can be a great choice to try to prevent snails and slugs, but it isn’t a guaranteed protection method.
Happy Planting!
With these tips, you should now have a good idea of what hosta companion plants to try in your yard, garden, or container, regardless of what hosta varieties you have. Happy planting!
For more perennial companion planting tips, check out what to plant with hydrangeas.
