Any of about 40 species of hardy herbaceous perennials, also called plantain lily, of the genus Hosta , in the lily family , native to eastern Asia.
They prefer light shade but will grow under a variety of conditions. They are frequently grown for their conspicuous foliage, which may be light to dark green, yellow, blue, or variegated. The ribbed leaves grow in a cluster at the base, and stalks bearing clusters of tubular white or bluish-purple flowers emerge from the leaves.