The Best Perennial You Should Plant In May For No-Fuss Beauty

For those who enjoy gardening, May represents an ideal time for planting perennial flowers. By this point in spring, any worries of frost are gone, even in the northern portions of the country. Additionally, the consistently warm soil temperatures and adequate moisture give these plants an opportunity to become firmly established before summer heat arrives in full force. With that in mind, if you are looking to plant a perennial in May that provides effortless beauty, the best choice is hostas.

Whether you intend to utilize hostas as a low-maintenance ground cover or to add accents of color to your yard, they are an ideal choice for spring planting. It is actually possible to plant hostas (Hosta spp) at any point from spring through autumn. However, the ideal soil temperature for planting them is between 50 and 65 degrees. That typically means May — before the soil bakes in summer, and prior to the risk of the ground freezing in fall — is the best time for putting hostas in the ground.

Although hostas can be planted later in the year, there a number of benefits to planting them in spring. For one, not only does that give them a chance to become established before summer, as mentioned above, but it also allows them to strengthen their root system throughout the entire fall so that they are ready for winter. Given they are just emerging from dormancy in spring, putting them in the ground in May means they will hit the ground running, so to speak, as their peak growing cycle gets underway.

To that end, since their foliage emerges in late spring and early summer, hostas planted in May will add lush foliage to your yard almost immediately after planting, rather than waiting for half a year or more through winter. Instead, they generally grow leaves throughout their first year when planted in May. Blooms, on the other hand, are no guarantee that first year. However, since they typically bloom in later in summer or even early fall, planting them in May at least gives them a chance to flower that first year. Once they do bloom, these shade-loving plants will attract hummingbirds to your yard.

Planting – or transplanting – in May is also ideal for those who already have hostas growing. Although they don't usually need to be divided in order to stay healthy, some gardeners choose to do so in order to keep their garden tidy and/or to propagate. Whether you're doing the division or buying bare roots from a nursery, this will happen in early spring through May and the plants should be placed in the ground immediately. Simply pick the best spot to plant the new hostas and put them back in the ground as soon as they are divided.