Like all plants, hostas have been given a number of classifications to fit them into the realm of the Plant Kingdom including:

Plant Family - Once in the Liliaceae Family, hostas currently have their own Family called Hostaceae...but that may change.

Genus - Of course we know them as Hostas but they were once something entirely different.

Species - There are currently about 42 different species of hosta.

Species vs Cultivars - Several plants once thought to be species were changed to the status of cultivar in 1991.

Cultivars - Those unique names such as H. 'Sum and Substance' represent cultivate varieties or cultivars.

Common Names - We call them hostas but they have been known by other common names.