Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Sometimes before we answer a question, we have to be sure what is being asked. There are three different trees that are referred to as "cedars" and we're not sure which one you are interested in.The supposedly "true" cedar is of the genus Cedrus, of which Cedrus atlantica is an example. It is a native of the Atlas Mountains in northern Africa and has a USDA Plant Hardiness of Zones 6 to 9. The next tree often referred to as "cedar" is Thuja occidentalis (arborvitae), which is native to North America and to Ontario. The third cedar is Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) which is also native to North America and to Ontario. This Tree Help.com website Cedar and Arborvitae compares the three in pictures.

Hostas are native to Japan, China and Korea, and therefore fall out of our area of expertise. At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center we are committed to the care, protection and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are being grown.  Because they do not appear in our Native Plant Database, we would like to refer you to this Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet on Growing Hostas.

What plant is next to another doesn't have as much to do with the interrelationship between those plants as with the appropriate growing conditions for each. If you are growing a "cedar" native to your area, then that tree is being grown in appropriate conditions. You will need to find out if the hosta, which is non-native, can grow in the same conditions to know whether they will prosper side by side.