hosta


Also found in: Thesaurus, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to hosta: Funkia

hos·ta

 (hō′stə, hŏs′tə)
n.
Any of various perennial plants of the genus Hosta, native to East Asia and widely cultivated for their attractive shade-tolerant foliage and tall racemes of white, blue, or lilac flowers. Also called funkia, plantain lily.

[New Latin Hosta, genus name, after Nicolaus Thomas Host (1761-1834), Austrian botanist.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

hosta

(ˈhɒstə)
n
(Plants) any plant of the liliaceous genus Hosta, of China and Japan: cultivated esp for their ornamental foliage
[C19: New Latin, named after N. T. Host (1761–1834), Austrian physician]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

hos•ta

(ˈhoʊ stə, ˈhɒs tə)

n., pl. -tas.
any of various plants belonging to the genus Hosta, of the lily family, as the plantain lily.
[< New Latin (1797), after Nicolaus Thomas Host (1761–1834), Austrian botanist; see -a2]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.hosta - robust east Asian clump-forming perennial herbs having racemose flowers: plantain liliesHosta - robust east Asian clump-forming perennial herbs having racemose flowers: plantain lilies; sometimes placed in family Hostaceae
liliid monocot genus - genus of monocotyledonous plants comprising mostly herbs having usually petaloid sepals and petals and compound pistils
family Liliaceae, Liliaceae, lily family - includes species sometimes divided among the following families: Alliaceae; Aloeaceae; Alstroemeriaceae; Aphyllanthaceae; Asparagaceae; Asphodelaceae; Colchicaceae; Convallariaceae; Hemerocallidaceae; Hostaceae; Hyacinthaceae; Melanthiaceae; Ruscaceae; Smilacaceae; Tecophilaeacea; Xanthorrhoeaceae
day lily, plantain lily - any of numerous perennials having mounds of sumptuous broad ribbed leaves and clusters of white, blue, or lilac flowers; used as ground cover
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
* John Richter opens his private garden in Warrenville to share the beauty of his various grafted trees, thousands of day lilies and more than 750 varieties of hostas. To schedule a tour, call (630) 393-3279.
A relatively compact plant, Hosta 'White Feather' looks striking in the front of a border.
In last week's homemaker, garden designer Sean Murray wrote about his love of hostas and said there is "no ultimate deterrent" to snails munching through the leaves.
Funny Mouse and Hosta 'Abiqua Miniature' are just the ticket and I grow then in old pigeon nest pans amongst their showier cousins.
Eric Smith, who bred some of the most special plants ever, was responsible for this breathtaking hosta. He was a plantsman of vision who helped create some of the best herbaceous plants we have the privilege to grow.
And even the often-disdained hosta flower is gaining admiration.
Here he would plant Hosta, 'Sagae'; Heuchera, 'Caramel'; a Japanese grass called Hakonechloa macra, 'Aureola'; Pulsatilla vulgaris, 'Purple'; and Aruncus dioicus (Giant goat's beard).
Hosta pays homage to this important aspect of nature by highlighting its riches.
Yellow edges of the blue-green hosta echo chartreuse Hakonechloa, gold and green artemisia, and lime-colored euphorbia blooms.
"One of the biggest problems about mountaintop removal is that it employs so few people," says Hillary Hosta, an activist with the Coalfield Sustainability Project.