Yes, it’s true there are several small hosta varieties and even numerous mini hosta varieties too!
Hostas are shade-loving perennial plants loved for their incredible elegance of colorful leaves.
In this article, we will focus on small hosta varieties that grow no larger than 12 inches tall. And we will look at mini hosta varieties that are all 6 inches tall and under.
Hostas are easy to grow, low maintenance, and long-lived, making them an excellent addition to any shade garden design.
Plant small hosta varieties along a walkway, use them as a border, or fill in gaps beneath taller perennials within your shade garden landscape.
What Are Hostas?
Hostas, also known as plantain lilies can be the highlight feature of your shade garden.
Plant hostas in containers, shady borders, under large trees or shrubs, and along walkways – the sky is the limit.
But their dazzling foliage coloring and texture are unlike many plants!
Hostas grow as an open mound of horizontal, thick, bulky-weight leaves that are almost always round and heart-shaped.
Therefore, the leaves are what make this perennial plant so special, with colors varying from shades of green to blue-green, gold, and even variegated.
Also, many small hosta varieties do produce attractive spike-like heads of bell-trumpet-shaped flowers. These pale pink or white flowers often attract hummingbirds, and bees and even have a fragrance.
Hostas emerge from the ground in mid-spring as whimsical, spiraled spikes that uncurl as they leaf out.
All hostas, including the small varieties, will remain vibrant in your garden until late fall.
Small Hosta Varieties – 6 to 12 inches tall
Blue Mouse Ears – Small Hosta
Height: 6 inches
Rich in deep blue-green color, this adorable small hosta packs a statement. The plant doesn’t reach more than 6 inches in height, but the leaves can be up to 3 inches long. It is more of a spreading variety and will self propagate well spreading up to 24 inches wide. But it can easily be divided!
Therefore it can be a confident choice for container planting and small shade garden spaces.
But most notably is the striking, violet, bell-shaped blooms with pinstripes down the petals. You can enjoy these abundant blooms in mid-summer shooting off of 8-inch spears.
This little hosta has won multiple awards including the Award of Garden Merit and Hosta of the Year award! So, it can be a show stopper for your garden too.
Blue Mouse Ears Hosta grows best in full, deep shade where it is sheltered from cold, dry winds. Like most hostas, it prefers fertile, moist soil that drains well.
Fire Island – Small Hosta
Height: 12 inches
This small hosta earns its name from the luminous contrast of bright red stems, which keep their color throughout the growing season. Loved for this unique flare, and the oval, heart-shaped pale yellow leaves, it is sure to be an attractive addition to your shade garden.
A bit on the larger side for our small hosta list, maturing right at 12 inches tall and can fan out to 34 inches! Keeping a looser, mounding growth habit, this small hosta feels more ‘open’ and airy.
Adding to the visual interest, the leaves are shiny on the top and matt underneath.
In late summer you can enjoy pale lavender blooms that are more funnel-shaped. These blooms flare off a stem that can reach 18 inches tall.
Plant this hosta in full shade, but it can tolerate a couple of hours of filtered sun. Like all hostas, it prefers fertile, moist soil that drains well. Add this hosta to containers, or your shade garden to add layers of height.
‘Mighty Mouse’ – Small Hosta
Height: 6 to 8 inches
This small hosta will definitely get the attention it deserves in a container or garden planting. With its two-toned lush leaves, a deep forest green irregular center, and yellow-green border, the Mighty Mouse hosta will be a great addition.
The attractive foliage and compact size, maxing out at 6 to 8 inches in height make this small hosta perfect for decorative patio pots or as a small border plant in the front of the landscape.
Another easy-to-grow hosta, that can do well amongst large rocks on a rockscape, or as a nice contrasting accent to bright annual plants.
Like most hostas, this small hosta needs full shade but is less picky on soil type compared to other varieties. However, the soli does still need to be well-draining.
Hardy down to temperatures of -40°, but will need protection from the harsh winter wind.
Enjoy blooms in early to midsummer, around June to July for this small hosta. Bursting into bloom with mauve-lilac blooms adding an extra decorative element to your shade garden.
The Mighty Mouse small hosta has thicker leaves, making it more resistant to hosta’s common pest slug and snails, better than other hosta varieties.
‘Raspberry Sunday’ – Small Hosta
Height: 12 inches
A perfect small hosta for adding beauty and style to your garden or pots, maturing at 12 inches tall.
What makes this hosta a stand-out must-have is the radiant burgundy speckles on the leaf stems that delicately fade out onto the leaves. Similar to ‘Fire Island’, but much darker, more maroon-red in color.
The leaves of this hosta are primarily pale, yellowish in color, with an irregular, deep green border that adds pattern along the margins. However, the yellowish color is almost fluorescent in the right light.
Featuring a classic hosta heart-shaped leaf, with a slightly more slender end that comes to a fine, whispy point where several will even have a slight curl.
Add this hosta to your containers in a shady patio garden, or beneath taller plants in your shade garden landscape. This small hosta will definitely add interest and depth with the left shape and variation.
Enjoy deep lavender blooms in late summer July to August.
This hosta prefers full shade but can withstand some morning sun that is less direct, or several hours of filtered sunlight. Keep the hosta well watered in hot weather if it does get some sun. Ensure the soil is well-drained and add organic matter to increase the nutrient level.
‘Curly Fries’ – Small Hosta
Height: 6 to 10 inches
Now, this is a conversation starter, ‘Curly Fries’ is a unique small hosta you will absolutely want to add to your shade garden!
‘Curly Fries’ earns its fun name from the heavily rippled, and wavy lance-shaped leaves that emerge a chartreuse color and brighten as they age to a green-gold. At the base of the leaf clusters, it is magenta, this color follows up the stem and into the spine of each leaf before it fades into the green halfway up each leaf.
The edges of the leaves look defined and sharp giving it a bold clean shape in the garden. A great way to add depth and dimension to your garden.
Ideal for growing in small spaces or in a patio garden, maturing at 6 to 10 inches tall. However, the leaves themselves give the plant the entire height.
This small and unique hosta will bloom in summer. It is hardy in the winter down to -40 degrees F as well. Like most hostas, it requires rich, moist soil that is well-drained. Preferring full shade, it can tolerate a few hours of filtered sun.
Mini Hostas – 5 inches and under
‘Kifukurin Ko Mamae’ – Mini Hosta
Height: 3 inches
A true mini hosta that brings to the scene style and uniqueness. Lance-shaped leaves with long stems, and gently wavy edges are numerous on this mini hosta. Each leaf ranges from 5 to 7 inches long, but they swoop to the side keeping the plant under 3 inches in total height.
The primary leaf color is medium green with a thin white border margin around each leaf and down the stem – a perfect outline.
This mini hosta reproduces new plants readily. So, quickly your plant spread width will increase and you can enjoy a large foliage count.
Plant this mini hosta in full shade and enjoy blooms in the middle of summer, July. It can do excellent as a walkway border plant or along the edges of large elevated stepping stones, or rocks on a hillside.
‘Tears of Joy’ – Mini Hosta
Height” 4 inches
A mini hosta that is petite and dainty in every way except the large prominent bloom cluster of small yellow and almost black-purple star-shaped flowers, in early to mid-summer (May to June).
This mini hosta has solid medium to dark green leaves that are like little swords coming out of a base. The lance-shaped leaves curl inward creating a pouch at the end.
This plant doesn’t exceed 4 inches in height, but each leaf can be up to 5 inches in length. Therefore, this mini hosta looks loose and airy, it does not have a lot of ‘weight’ to it.
This feature makes it a great choice for a small feature plant in a protected area in your garden where it can be enjoyed.
Plant in full shade, next to large rocks on a walkway or underneath a birdbath or other garden art to highlight its beauty. You definitely want to see it when it blooms with a 10-inch flower stalk that shoots above the foliage it is quite the spectacle.
‘Green Thumb’ – Mini Hosta
Height: 2 inches
In search for a true, very mini hosta look no further than ‘Green Thumb’ which maxes out at only 2 inches tall!
This mini hosta forms tight, dense clumps of round bold, dark green leaves that are around 1.5 inches long. What is most notable about his mini hosta is when the light shines through the leaves, the veins glow iridescent light green.
Each plant produces many leaves and it multiplies well. So, you can expect this mini hosta to fill out a space nicely maxing out around 10 inches with thorough coverage because the leaves almost ‘hug’ the ground.
Therefore, this hosta looks great between natural rock stepping stones, in a tiered rock garden, or plant numerous as an edging along a walkway. Another great way to plant this little hosta is circling the base of a tree, garden lighting, birdbath, fountain, or other garden art.
Plant this hosta in ‘bright’ or ‘shadow’ shade, which means no direct sun, but filtered sun through one layer of larger plants that cast a shadow, such as a Japanese maple or Rhododendron. Keep moist in well-draining soil.
When summer rolls in, you can be surprised by the abundance of gigantic blooms (comparatively to the plant size), which shoot above the leaves. The flowers are a pinkish lilac color and open up into a wide bell shape. Each bloom stalk has at least 6 blooms, so the entire plant can be bursting with large showy blooms.
‘Appletini’ – Mini Hosta
Height: 5 inches
Another spectacular small to mini hosta choice to highlight in your shade garden. This hosta boasts its name with intense, sour apple-colored leaves.
These leaves look waxed and shiny as well, making them a glimmering feature along paths, at the base of trees, or around large rocks in your garden landscape. Yet, still, a classic hosta heart-shaped leaf structure that comes to a sharp, defined point at the end.
Plant this small hosta in full shade to bright shade, beneath large trees and shrubs.
You can enjoy blooms in mid-summer prolifically popping up from the tight mounding plant. This hosta will spread up to 10 inches wide, but will not exceed 5 inches in height.
Plant next to contrasting green leaf colors for a dramatic visual effect.
QUICK LOOK FACTS: SMALL HOSTA
That’s it – time to slip on those gardening boots and plant some roots! But most importantly, love every minute spent in the garden amongst your plants. Plants make the best company.
