hosta

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noun hos·ta \ˈhō-stə, ˈhä-\

Definition of hosta

: any of a genus (Hosta) of Asian perennial herbaceous plants of the lily family with densely growing basal leaves and tall racemes of white or violet flowers —called also funkia, plantain lily

Recent Examples of hosta from the Web

Her garden blooms with hydrangeas, hostas, vinca and magnolias, while sweet potato vine is featured on her storage shed.

— lori johnston, ajc, "Whimsical, global allure in historic West End Victorian," 14 June 2017
Flowers can range in color from white to a dark lavender, and the Royal Standard hosta’s flowers are large and scented.

— perdita buchan, The Christian Science Monitor, "Return of the natives," 24 May 2017
The borders are a mix of perennials; bulbs; small shrubs; and vines, including allium, clematis, peonies, lilies, delphinium, hosta and poppies.

— valerie easton, The Seattle Times, "A Maury Island hillside garden was a lot of work to create, and it’s a lot of work to tour," 17 May 2017
Created by stonemason Eddie Foisy, a circular walkway takes you to a miniature medieval castle surrounded by fairy portals, a magic diorama enveloped in a bank of lush hosta, ferns and sweet woodruff.

— mary ellen fillo, courant.com, "Cape Cod Shopping, Dining, Trips For When You're Not At The Beach," 17 May 2017
Falls Church Garden Club plant sale Includes natives, hostas, ferns and more. 8 a.m.-noon, Falls Church Community Center’s gym, 223 Little Falls St., Falls Church.

— Washington Post, "Fairfax County community calendar, May 11-18, 2017," 10 May 2017
Arum italicum may thrive in full sun, but hostas don’t.

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "The colorful Italian arum pairs well with hostas," 26 Apr. 2017
YESTERDAY’S WORD — ASTONISH anti saint sans sash satin shin shoat shot snit stain stash stoa than thin this toss oasis oast oath nosh into iota hint hiss hoist host hostaTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com.

— kathleen saxe, The Mercury News, "Word game: April 7, 2017," 7 Apr. 2017
Examples of easy-to-plant perennials are bear's breeches, hostas, and red-hot pokers.

— timothy dahl, Popular Mechanics, "Easy-To-Grow Plants You Should Plant This Spring," 11 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hosta.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

There are about 40 species of hostas or plantain lilies, which are hardy perennials in the lily family, native to eastern Asia. They prefer light shade, but will grow under a variety of conditions. They are valued for their conspicuous foliage, which may be light to dark green, yellow, blue, or variegated. The ribbed leaves grow in a cluster at the base, and stalks bearing clusters of tubular white or bluish-purple flowers emerge from the leaves.