Hosta / Funkia

Hosta prefer moist, humus-rich soil in light to full shade. If positioned in some sun, aim for a filtered, less harsh morning sun. Hostas are a staple of the shade garden and come in so many interesting patterns, shapes and colors—there's no reason for boredom in a shady bed!

Very reliably, yes. Hosta will go dormant after a hard freeze and die to the ground but can be counted on to return each year.

As a general rule, most yellow or gold Hosta will tolerate a partly sunny location. Keep in mind though, too much direct sunshine—especially hot afternoon sun—will cause leaf burn on any variety. Many of the sun-tolerant Hosta tend to have thicker, textured foliage that is puckered, pleated or corrugated. Blue-toned varieties as a general rule do best in low light.

All Hostas tolerate shade and most are fine even in deep shade / indirect light only. Variegated varieties, especially those with more white markings definitely prefer shade to retain their coloration. The blue-foliage varieties will bleach to green with too much direct sun.