The American Hosta Growers Association (AHGA) is made up of professionals who specialize in Hosta. Members include wholesale and retail nurseries, both mail-order and walk-in, as well as the growers that produce starter plants for these nurseries. The AHGA aims to promote interest in gardening with hostas and to share the best information on their care.
Want to grow the 2025 Hosta of the Year? Go to the bottom of this page to find your chance to win a 'Skywriter' hosta for your garden!
In 1996, the association established the Hosta of the Year program as a way to help nursery owners and home gardeners alike choose amid the ever-increasing number of hosta cultivars. Decided by a members’ vote, the Hosta of the Year must be a selection that succeeds in all regions where hostas are grown. For 2025, that plant is ‘Skywriter’.
‘Skywriter’ is a blue hosta with a semi-upright habit that shows off the white undersides of the leaves and the purple stems from which they unfurl. Considered a medium-sized selection, it grows to about a foot-and-a-half tall and four feet wide. The solid blue leaves have ruffled edges and pronounced corrugation. The foliage color makes a nice complement for the pale purple flowers that appear in summer.
‘Skywriter’ was bred by Dan Wols, a Chicago-area dentist and hosta hybridizer. Its background includes two strongly blue cultivars: ‘Smoke Signals’ and ‘Neptune’, itself an award winner; plus ‘Marilyn Monroe’, a green hosta whose rippled leaves twist to reveal white reverses—reminiscent of the iconic subway-grate photo of the actress.
P.J. Beaulier, Manager at specialist retailer New Hampshire Hostas, points out the details that make ‘Skywriter’ stand out, including the color combination that this plant provides all on its own: the blue and reddish purple of the leaf and petiole, or leaf stem, respectively.
“Blue leaves on red petioles is just a great color contrast in the garden, especially with hostas,” he observes. “The petioles are more purple due to all the wax on the leaf, which is what gives the soft blue color as well.” He describes the ruffled margins of the leaves as “extra eye candy” that helps call attention to ‘Skywriter’ within a garden setting.
To further highlight the beauty of this hosta, P.J. recommends adding warm-hued companions, which will provide contrast to its soft blue. In particular, he suggests placing a larger yellow hosta behind ‘Skywriter’ and/or surrounding it with yellow-, orange- or red-leaved coral bells (Heuchera).
‘Skywriter’ shares the simple preferences that are common to all hostas: protection from harsh sun; porous soil that’s rich in organic matter; a spot in USDA Zones 3 through 8; and regular water—about an inch a week. Its color puts a special emphasis on that first requirement.
“I would site this hosta in bright morning sun with filtered afternoon shade,” says P.J. “Too much sun can break down the wax on the leaf, which deteriorates the blue color.”
That said, don’t hide ‘Skywriter’ away in a dark corner. An award-winning plant deserves the spotlight, and, adds P.J., “Too much shade can affect the vigor—which is true on most hostas.”
Would you like to grow 'Skywriter' hosta? Fill out the form below for a chance to win a 'Skywriter' hosta, supplied by New Hampshire Hostas! See official rules.
