Hosta is a genus of herbaceous perennials in the Asparagaceae family, native to northeast Asia. They are plants that grow from rhizomes or stolons. It grows as a bush, consisting of large (3-45 cm long and 2-30 cm wide), lanceolate or ovate leaves. The foliage is green in most species, and in some, it has a bluish tinge and glossy appearance. The inflorescences are racemes, consisting of a slender, lignified stem on which the pendulous flowers are arranged. They are white, lilac, or purple in color and odorless. The genus was named in honor of the Austrian botanist Nicholas Thomas Host. In the past, the genus was called Funkia. The name is still found in old books.