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Hosta planting zones

Hosta (Hosta species and hybrids) is a perennial. By the type table below, at least one type lives through winter in the ground in 3a–9a; outside those zones, none of the types on this page is rated. Below the types are the dates its year turns on: each zone’s median last spring freeze and first fall freeze, from NOAA records.

Published October 24, 2026 · Cite this page

The types

Which hosta to grow

Type Hardy in the ground Notes
Hybrid hostas Hosta cultivars (e.g. ‘Francee’, ‘Patriot’, ‘Gold Standard’) 3a to 8b, then too little winter Minnesota: hardy to zones 3 or 4 depending on the variety. UF/IFAS says hostas do not fare well in Florida.
Blue and large-leaved hostas Hosta sieboldiana (e.g. ‘Elegans’) 3a to 8a, then too little winter NC State: waxy blue leaves, prefers shade and cooler temperatures. Minnesota says blue hostas need a shadier site.
Plantain lily Hosta plantaginea (e.g. ‘Royal Standard’, ‘Honeybells’) 4a to 9a, then too little winter Clemson: the most heat- and sun-tolerant species, grows on the coast. Mississippi State: not heat tolerant near the Gulf Coast.

Zone ranges are a judgement: horticultural convention set beside what the sources below say, not a measurement. “Too little winter” means the type needs winter chill the warm zones do not give it. In the next table the freeze dates are measured, and the count of hardy types comes from these judged ranges.

Zone by zone

Where hosta lives through winter, and when the freezes fall

Each date is the median across every NOAA station the zone’s ZIP codes cite, 1991–2020 normals. The middle half of those stations falls within the range shown beside it.

Zone Types hardy in the ground Last spring freeze First fall freeze
3a 2 of 3 only 10 stations with comparable freeze dates — too few to publish a date
3b 2 of 3 May 18 · middle half May 15 – May 25 September 23 · middle half September 17 – September 26
4a 3 of 3 May 15 · middle half May 10 – May 21 September 27 · middle half September 22 – September 30
4b 3 of 3 May 11 · middle half May 5 – May 23 September 30 · middle half September 23 – October 3
5a 3 of 3 May 9 · middle half May 1 – May 20 October 2 · middle half September 26 – October 7
5b 3 of 3 May 4 · middle half April 27 – May 15 October 8 · middle half October 1 – October 14
6a 3 of 3 May 1 · middle half April 24 – May 9 October 14 · middle half October 5 – October 20
6b 3 of 3 April 25 · middle half April 17 – May 3 October 20 · middle half October 11 – October 24
7a 3 of 3 April 19 · middle half April 11 – April 27 October 23 · middle half October 17 – October 28
7b 3 of 3 April 8 · middle half April 3 – April 16 October 30 · middle half October 25 – November 3
8a 3 of 3 March 30 · middle half March 25 – April 5 November 5 · middle half November 1 – November 10
8b 2 of 3 March 20 · middle half March 13 – March 29 November 12 · middle half November 7 – November 18
9a 1 of 3 March 5 · middle half February 24 – March 15 November 24 · middle half November 18 – December 2
9b 0 of 3 February 12 · middle half January 30 – February 25 December 8 · middle half December 1 – December 17
10a 0 of 3 107 of 190 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
10b 0 of 3 70 of 79 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11a 0 of 3 34 of 34 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11b 0 of 3 12 of 12 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from

“Types hardy in the ground” is a judgement, from the type table above. The freeze dates are measured.

A zone does not tell you your own dates. Inside a single zone the median last spring freeze still varies by 34 days from station to station, so the box below gives the dates of the NOAA station nearest your ZIP code.

Your ZIP code

Your ZIP, your answer

Enter your ZIP code to see your USDA zone, how many of the 3 types on this page live through that zone’s winter and when its freezes fall, read from the table on this page, and the freeze dates of the NOAA station nearest you.

Works for all 40,502 US ZIP codes. Freeze dates need a NOAA station within 100 km; where there is none, the page says so rather than estimating one. Your ZIP code stays in your browser: the page downloads the file of ZIP codes that share its first three digits and looks yours up there. It is not stored or tracked.

Your answer appears here.

Full details for any ZIP code: ZIP code zone finder.

Which hosta for your zone

University of Minnesota Extension says hostas are hardy to zones 3 or 4 depending on the variety, and range from six inches high and a foot across to 3 to 4 feet high and 5 to 6 feet across. NC State Extension’s plant toolbox lists zones 3a to 9b, and says hostas need a cold dormant period of a couple of months each winter.

In the South the species matters. Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center calls the plantain lily (Hosta plantaginea) the most heat- and sun-tolerant species, ideal for the South, and says it grows well on the coast because it does not need a long dormant period; ‘Royal Standard’ and ‘Honeybells’ are among its cultivars. Mississippi State Extension’s flower list says plantain lily is not heat tolerant near the Gulf Coast. NC State says Hosta sieboldiana, the large blue type, prefers shade and cooler temperatures.

UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says hostas do not fare well in Florida’s hot summers and mild winters because they need winter chilling, and suggests the cast iron plant instead. UGA Extension lists hostas that should do well in Georgia, among them ‘Antioch’, which emerges later than most and so avoids late frosts, and ‘Royal Standard’, which can handle more sun than most.

Shade and sun

Minnesota says hostas thrive in filtered or dappled shade for much of the day and can survive deep shade, less than 4 hours of sun. Yellow and gold hostas benefit from 2 to 3 hours of morning sun for richer color; blue hostas need more shade to avoid leaf burn, and scorched leaf edges mean sunscald.

Clemson says some cultivars are sun-tolerant, but all do best with afternoon shade, and that blue cultivars can fade to green when hard rain or watering rubs off their waxy coating. UGA says to avoid direct afternoon sun, and NC State that in the South hostas are best in full or dappled shade so the leaves do not burn.

Planting

Minnesota says hostas can be planted throughout the growing season but spring is generally best. Set a bare-root division with the crown even with the surrounding soil and the growing tips at the surface; plant a potted hosta at the level it grew in the pot. UGA plants, transplants and divides in early spring as the leaves begin to emerge, in a hole as deep as the root ball and at least twice as wide. Clemson plants in early fall or in spring before the leaves unfold, 1 to 3 feet apart.

UGA says hostas will not tolerate soggy soil, especially in winter, and do best on raised beds in soil amended with organic matter. NC State says the same: well-drained soil, rich in organic matter, slightly acidic.

Water, mulch and feeding

Minnesota calls 1 inch of water a week best, as deep, infrequent watering rather than frequent shallow sprinkling. Clemson and Mississippi State say an inch or more, and more in very hot weather, in sun, or under trees and shrubs whose roots compete.

Minnesota mulches 2 to 4 inches deep once the soil warms in late spring, kept away from the crown, and fertilizes only if a soil test calls for it, stopping after the end of July so the plant can prepare for winter. Without a soil test, UGA applies 1/2 pound of 10-10-10 per 100 square feet at planting or when growth emerges.

Dividing hostas

Minnesota says mature hostas do not need dividing for plant health, though it gives more plants and a neater look. Divide in spring once the eyes, the growing tips, start to emerge; later divisions may show more damage that season. Leave as much root as possible on each piece. UGA says most hostas can be divided every four to five years, each division with at least one eye, and that very small divisions establish slowly. NC State divides every 3 to 5 years in early spring.

Clemson says hostas can be divided whenever they can be dug, but need much more care if divided in summer heat, and that they do best left undisturbed for several years.

Flowers, fall cleanup and winter

Hostas are grown mainly for their leaves (UGA, Clemson), and none of the sources we read gives a reason a hosta fails to flower. Minnesota cuts the flower stalk down to the crown once the blooms have died, so the plant does not spend energy on seed; Clemson removes the stalks after bloom too.

In fall, University of Illinois Extension cuts back the foliage once its color fades, to remove foliar nematodes and slug eggs and to keep disease from carrying over, and adds mulch over newly transplanted hostas after the ground has frozen to prevent heaving. Minnesota says winter protection is generally not necessary, and to pull excess mulch away from the crown in spring to avoid crown rot.

Common problems

Clemson calls slugs the most common hosta problem, and warns that slug baits can also poison pets. Clemson and Illinois say voles eat the roots and kill plants, and Minnesota and UGA that deer eat the leaves.

Clemson says foliar nematodes cause yellow and brown streaks between the leaf veins, and to buy new plants in late summer or fall, when the symptoms show. Hosta virus X causes mottling and puckering, has no cure, and spreads through sap when dividing or removing leaves, so infected plants should be dug and disposed of. Hosta anthracnose causes large whitish spots with brown edges; remove those leaves.

NC State’s plant toolbox says all parts of hostas are toxic to cats, dogs and horses.

Common mistakes

We found no Texas, Louisiana or Alabama source for hostas that we could read; LSU AgCenter and Alabama Extension did not load from here. The Southern sources we read (Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina) agree hostas need shade there, and disagree on how close to the Gulf Coast the plantain lily holds up.

Questions

What zone do hostas grow in?
Minnesota says hostas are hardy to zones 3 or 4 depending on the variety, and NC State lists 3a to 9b. UF/IFAS says they do not fare well in Florida because they need winter chilling. Clemson says the plantain lily is the species for the South and the coast.
How much sun can a hosta take?
Minnesota says gold hostas benefit from 2 to 3 hours of morning sun and blue hostas need more shade. Clemson says all do best with afternoon shade, and UGA says to avoid direct afternoon sun.
When should I divide hostas?
Minnesota and NC State divide in early spring as the growing tips emerge, and UGA says most hostas can be divided every four to five years. Clemson also divides in early fall, and says summer divisions need much more care.
Are hostas toxic to dogs and cats?
NC State’s plant toolbox says all parts of hostas are toxic to cats, dogs and horses. Clemson also warns that slug baits used on hostas can poison pets.
What is eating holes in my hosta leaves?
Clemson calls slugs the most common problem. Deer eat the leaves (Minnesota, UGA), and Clemson says elongated holes with yellow and brown streaks between the veins can mean foliar nematodes as well.

Sources

Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The type table is a judgement, as labelled above. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.

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Published October 24, 2026

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