Island Breeze is a small hosta with glowing gold leaves edged in dark green, the contrast sharpened by red-tinted leaf stems. The mound stays around 10 inches tall and under 2 feet wide, and violet flowers rise on stalks above it in summer, drawing hummingbirds.

A dose of morning sun intensifies the gold, but give it afternoon shade in our summers. Plant it in rich, evenly moist soil at the front of a shade bed or in a container where the coloring reads up close. Watch for slugs in spring, as with most gold-leaved hostas.