Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Autumn Frost Hosta: A Neat Blue-and-Cream Edger for Shade
Save
Autumn Frost hosta is a medium-size hosta with frosty, powdery blue leaves edged in extra-wide margins. Those margins open bright yellow in spring and lighten to creamy white over the summer, so the plant changes as the season goes on. It forms a neat mound about a foot tall and 2 feet wide, has an RHS Award of Garden Merit and was named a national Hosta of the Year in 2019.
Autumn Frost at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hosta 'Autumn Frost' |
| Foliage | Frosty blue centers; wide margins yellow in spring, creamy white by summer |
| Flowers | Light lavender bells on stems 12 to 16 inches tall |
| Size | About 12 inches tall, 24 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts mid-July, peaks early August |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Part sun to part shade, full shade |
| Deer | Susceptible |
Small hosta, big edging job
Many hostas take up a lot of room. Autumn Frost stays compact, which makes it one of the most useful for edging. A line of these along a shaded walk gives a crisp blue-and-cream border that holds its shape all summer. It also fits containers on a covered porch and mass plantings under trees where a big hosta would swamp the space.
In a garden built around lavender, think of it as the shade-side cousin of a lavender hedge: low, tidy and cool-toned, with light lavender flowers in late summer. It needs richer, moister soil and more shade than lavender, so it lives on a different part of the property. Plan both the shady edge and the sunny beds in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Spacing: about 2 feet apart for a continuous edge once mature.
- Light: shade from afternoon sun keeps the blue color and prevents scorch.
- Water: evenly moist soil, with extra water during dry spells.
- Tidying: remove flower stems after bloom for a neat mound.
- Slugs: watch for them in damp springs and keep mulch thin near the crown.
- Fall: cut collapsed foliage after hard frost; divide in spring if crowded.
Deer, anthracnose and petiole rot are the usual hosta concerns. Remove any plant with mottled or distorted leaves.
Watching the margins change
Part of the fun of Autumn Frost is that it does not look the same in May as it does in August. Spring margins are bright yellow against the blue, a cheerful contrast. By midsummer they have softened to cream, and the plant takes on a cooler, frosted look, which seems fitting for a hosta with this name.
Frequently asked questions
How big does Autumn Frost get?
About 12 inches tall and 24 inches wide, a neat medium-size mound.
Is it good in containers?
Yes. Its size makes it one of the easier hostas for pots. Water containers more often than beds.
Can it grow near my lavender?
Not in the same bed. It needs shade and moisture that lavender would not tolerate.
Share how it went in your field