Mini hostas are incredibly cute hosta varieties that tend to stay quite small even when fully grown. The most popular cultivars are Blue Mouse Ears, Tiny Tears, Cracker Crumbs, Dragon Tails, and Baby Bunting. These tiny treasures grow less than a foot tall and generally fit within a square foot of area in the garden. Small hostas are available in all sorts of leaf colorations, variegations, and shapes.
1. Blue Mouse Ears hosta
Blue Mouse Ears is the most popular miniature hosta variety in North America, growing to an adorable mature size of 10″ wide and 6″ tall. The thick leaves are a dusky blue-green color that forms in a cupped shape, opening up later to a heart shape. Gorgeous purple flowers grow on 8″-10″ tall stems, just above the unfolding leaves. The Blue Mouse Ears hosta was introduced by Emile and Jane Deckert of Maryland.
2. Tiny Tears hosta
Tiny Tears is a classic miniature green hosta that grows only 6″ wide and 2″-3″ tall. The olive-green leaves are barely more than an inch long. Flower buds are white, blooming to a soft lavender on a 10″ stem above the plant. The Tiny Tears Hosta was bred by Robert Savory of Savory’s Gardens in Minnesota and was first introduced in 1977.
3. Cracker Crumbs hosta
Cracker Crumbs hosta is a bright green variegated hosta that reaches a full-grown size of 12″ wide and 6″ high. The glossy, lime-green leaves have a dark green wavy edge with some streaks. Flowers are a contrasting purple hue on 18″ tall stems above the foliage. The Cracker Crumbs Hosta was bred by R. (Bob) Solberg of Green Hill Hostas in Franklinton, North Carolina, and is almost like a miniature ruffled version of his popular Guacamole hosta.
4. Dragon Tails hosta
Dragon Tails hosta is a ruffled mini hosta cultivar that grows about 14″ wide and 6″ high. The bright, lime-green, glossy leaves are very narrow, with highly ruffled edges. This hosta has pale yellow flowers blooming on a stem about 10″ tall, bringing the flowers to just above the leaves. The Dragon Tails Hosta was bred by William W. Zumbar (Bill), a retired Army veteran and University Professor from Alliance, Ohio.
5. Baby Bunting hosta
Baby Bunting hosta is a small, deeply-colored hosta that grows about 12″ wide and 8″ tall. The thick, heart-shaped leaves are dark green and have a puckered texture. The plant sends up nice purple flowers on tall 18″ stems. The Baby Bunting hosta is another introduction from Robert Savory of Savory’s Gardens in Minnesota.
6. Crepe Soul hosta
Crepe Soul hosta is a small variegated hosta that grows to about 15″ wide and 6″-8″ tall. The leaves are elongated and upright, with dark green centers and thick white borders. Flowers are a dark purple color on 10″ high stems, just above the leaves. The Crepe Soul Hosta was introduced by Naylor Creek Nursery in Chimacum, Washington.
7. Little Wonder hosta
Little Wonder hosta is a dense miniature variegated hosta that grows about 12″ wide and 5″-6″ tall. The pointed leaves are a medium-dark green with irregular white edges. Flowers are a bright purple shade on a tall, 14″-16″ stem. The Little Wonder Hosta was bred by William and Eleanor Lachman of Massachusetts.
8. Popo hosta
Popo hosta is a mini variety of hosta that grows about 14″ wide and 6″ tall. The thick leaves are a solid grey-blue color, and the flowers are a pale purple. The Popo Hosta was bred by Russ O’Harra and R. (Frank) Riehl of Iowa.
9. Little Jay hosta
Little Jay hosta is a miniature variegated hosta reaching about 8″ wide and 4″ high. Leaves are long and narrow, with dark green edges and white stripe-like variegation down the center. The Little Jay Hosta was bred by H. Jan van den Top of The Netherlands and Danny Van Eechaute of Belgium as a sport mutation of the Beauty Little Blue Streaked Hosta.
10. Green Eyes hosta
Green Eyes hosta is a variegated small hosta that grows about 14″ wide and is only 4″ tall. The leaves are narrow and bright green in color, with a narrow dark green edge. The leaves are slightly wavy and sometimes twisted. The Green Eyes Hosta was developed by Dorothy and Ralph (Herb) Benedict of Michigan.
11. Thumbelina hosta
Thumbelina hosta is a small variegated hosta that grows to 14″ wide and 8″ high. The medium-green leaves have thick white borders. Flowers are pale lavender on tiny 4″ scapes that peak out from between the foliage. The Thumbelina Hosta was bred by Dick and Jane Ward of Ohio.
12. Masquerade hosta
Masquerade hosta is a small, variegated type of hosta that grows about 15″ wide and 5″ tall. The leaves are white with thick, dark green edges and somewhat upright. Masquerade hostas have dark purple flowers on 12″ stalks that complement the variegated leaves nicely. The Masquerade hosta was bred by Diana Grenfell of Gloucestershire, UK, where she tends to her UK National Plant Collection of miniature hostas.
13. Royal Mouse Ears hosta
Royal Mouse Ears hosta is a miniature hosta that grows to reach 9″ wide and 5″ tall. This sport of the famous Blue Mouse Ears hosta has irregular yellow-cream streaks running down its rounded leaves. The Royal Mouse Ears hosta was also introduced by Emile and Jane Deckert of Maryland.
14. Bitsy Green hosta
Bitsy Green hosta is a miniature hosta cultivar that tends to grow 12″-18″ wide and about 6″ tall. The dark green leaves are narrow and pointed, making this tiny hosta look almost like ornamental grass.
Bitsy Green hostas have purple flowers that stick up above the leaves on a stem about 12″ tall. Bitsy green is somewhat tolerant of the sun. Other hostas in this series include Bitsy Gold hosta and Bitsy Blue hosta.
15. Cat And Mouse hosta
Cat And Mouse hosta is a mini hosta variety that grows only 6″ wide and 3″ tall! This extra-small hosta is adorable, with round leaves and dark green/blue streaks around its deep green leaves.
Cat and Mouse is a sport mutation of Blue Mouse Ears and has similar high-quality, richly-colored purple flowers. The Cat And Mouse mini hosta was bred by Hans Hansen of Minnesota (who also bred the famous Fire And Ice hosta).
16. Country Mouse hosta
Country Mouse hosta is a miniature variegated hosta that tends to grow about 9″-10″ wide and 2″-3″ tall. The leaves are about two inches long and are mainly a dusky green color, but with a white edge. Country Mouse was bred by Hans Hansen of Minnesota.
17. Shining Tot hosta
Shining Tot hosta is a tiny hosta that grows to 6″ wide and 2″ tall. The heart-shaped leaves are a glossy, dark green color. The Shining Tot Hosta was introduced by Paul Aden of Baldwin, NY, who is well-known for introducing over a hundred hostas (many of which were bred by Florence Shaw or Kevin Vaughn).
18. Cat’s Eye hosta
Cat’s Eye hosta is an absolutely tiny variegated hosta that grows about 6″ wide and 2″ tall. The leaves of this tiny hosta are not much more than an inch long and have a yellow center with dark green edges. The flowers of Cat’s Eye hosta are purple with slight streaking. The Cat’s Eye hosta was bred by Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nurseries in Canby, Oregon.
