Head to the Shields Hosta Walk and Garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden where visitors are greeted by a stone dedicating the Hosta Walk and Garden as a National Display Garden of the American Hosta Society. The Hosta Garden is located near the Zimmerman Sensory Garden, which hosts 10 wild species and more than 100 cultivars.

Check out some of the cool-named hostas such as Whirlwind, Waiting in Vein, So Sweet and Baby Blue Eyes. Enjoy the green, blue, yellow and multi-colored foliage that thrive in shady areas. The eye-catching plants can be seen along with companion plants with interesting leaf textures and flowers.

Don’t forget to take a moment to enjoy the tree peonies — the classic flower dating before AD 700 — living amongst the hosta collection. Garden-goers can also enjoy flowering bulbs, magnolia and witch hazel in the spring, astilbes and lilies in the summer, and dogwoods in the fall.

The charming Four Seasons sculpture by Marie Carr Taylor featured among the hostas has become a Garden favorite since its installation in 1991. The curious-looking metallic monument in the same area is actually an antique British lead cistern dating to the era of Charles II (1660–1685).

Hostas are low-maintenance foliage plants that bloom low to the ground, often in partially shaded areas. Pests and diseases are minimal, which makes them perfect for public and home gardens.