As a hosta grower, I'm often asked why one plant might cost £6 or £7 while another sit at more than £50 or even £100. The short answer is time, rarity, and risk. Hostas aren't churned out overnight. Many of the most desirable varieties take years of careful propagation before there are enough plants to sell, and every extra year in a pot adds cost.
One of the biggest factors is how fast a hosta grows. Vigorous varieties like 'Blue Cadet' or 'Pelham Blue Tump' bulk up quickly and can be divided regularly, keeping prices low. Slower growers such as 'Sound of Music' or 'Spilt Milk' produce fewer divisions, so stock builds up slowly and prices stay higher.
Rarity and demand also play a huge role. New introductions or hard-to-find cultivars like 'Red Ninja' (a new red leaf variety) and 'Tears in Heaven' (a stunning new blue hosta with wavy margins) command higher prices simply because demand outstrips supply. If a variety has a reputation for string colour, great substance, or RHS pedigree, growers know it won't sit on the bench for long.
Then there's propagation method. Some hostas can be tissue-cultured cheaply and in larger numbers, but other don't come true or perform poorly that way, meaning they must be grown and divided by hand. Add in losses to weather, slugs, virus testing, and the space they occupy for years, and suddenly that price tag makes sense.
So when you see a hosta that costs a bit more, you're not just paying for a plant, you're paying for years of growing, selecting, discarding, and caring. And in my experience, the best ones often earn their place in the garden many times over.
