How to Eat Your Hosta Plants. Yes, You Can.

Hostas have long been a go-to plant for flower and ornamental gardens. They have long, spiky blooms in the summertime. Their foliage is great for covering the ground around them and comes in many colors and sizes. Plus, they are a shade-happy plant!

These beauties are also edible and have been enjoyed in Japan for centuries. Their flavor is compared to asparagus, and they are best eaten about the same time of year: spring.

The good news is that hosta multiple year after year, so they often need to be thinned out anyway. Gardeners can multiply their supply by dividing their hosta and expanding the garden, or they can harvest it for delicious treats.

So, how exactly does one eat hosta plants?

Basic Hosta Info

Hostas, aka plantain lilies, are hardy (USDA Zone 2-9) perennials that work as foundation plants for shade and shrub gardens. There are around 70 species and 3000 cultivars. The plants originate in East Asia but have been popular elsewhere for centuries now.

They create a beautiful carpet of large, showy foliage. They are low-maintenance and are part of the same family as asparagus.

It’s easy to find hosta at plant nurseries, and they are inexpensive. Or, if you find a friend with some, you might be able to talk them into dividing a few and get yours started for free. Put them in shade to partial shade, in the early spring, and off you go.

While all species are edible, the tastiest are said to be Hosta fortunei and Montana hostas.

Harvesting Hosta

The best time to harvest hosta is the spring when the plants first start to emerge from the soil. The leaves come up in tightly furled shoots (hostons), and when they get to be a few inches tall, they are perfect for eating.

Use a sharp knife to harvest the hostons, cutting them free at soil level. Some say the morning is the best time. They should be washed as with lettuce. They can be left to air dry and stored in a vegetable crisper for a couple of days. They can be chopped and frozen to be used like spinach as well.

We don’t want to harvest hosta that have been treated with pesticides or chemicals. Also, be sure to harvest only one or two shoots from each plant, spreading the harvest around so that each plant can recover well.

Cooking Hosta

Then, the younger, softer leaves can be chopped into salads, and the more substantial leaves can be seared or sautéed a la asparagus. They should have a soft outside and a bit of a crunch inside. They’ll provide a hint of sweetness and a mild earthy taste.

They can also be eaten raw, right out of the garden, so it’s probably best to err on the side of undercooking them until you’ve become accustomed to working with hostons.

Hostas & Toxicity

For humans, hostas are not a problem. The leaves and flowers are edible though older, larger leaves tend to be too tough and inedibly bitter, but they still aren’t toxic. In other words, stick with those young hostons and you’ll be happy. The flowers have a peppery flavor that can season salads if you like.

That’s not to say hostas are wonderful for everything. They can be problematic for pets, specifically dogs and cats. They have glycoside saponin which can be toxic to certain animals.

Note: Rabbits and deer are not among these animals; they devour hostas.

For those looking to fill a shady spot with something beautiful and edible, hosta are a fantastic choice. They may require a little protection if deer and rabbits are about, but it’ll be worth the effort. The foliage is lush, the flowers are showy, and the flavor is right.

Related Content:

• 10 Edible Plants That Grow in the Shade
• 7 Ornamental Plants You Can Eat
• 10 Edible Flowers to Beautify Your Plate
• 9 Perennial Crops That Provide Food Early in the Season
• 8 Reasons to Grow and Love Perennial Plants

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