These shade-loving plants are primarily grown for their beautiful foliage. There's a vast range of cultivars to choose from, with leaves in all shades of green, as well as dusky blues and acid yellows, sometimes variegated or flashed with cream or gold, ruffled, smooth or distinctively ribbed. Many also produce small trumpet-shaped mauve or white flowers in summer. Hostas are notoriously irresistible to slugs and snails, but are also much loved by gardeners, who often amass large collections.

Hostas can transform a dull, shady yard into an elegant, low-maintenance landscape that looks attractive from spring through fall. Unlike most perennials, hostas are grown for their colorful foliage rather than for their flowers. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from and each has its own unique look.

Combining hostas with different foliage colors and textures is all part of the fun. They also make good companions for other shade lovers such as astilbe, bleeding heart, ferns, caladiums and begonias.