When my kids were young, their hair changed color over the summer. The more they were out in the bright sun, the lighter their hair got. Hostas are the same way. If you keep them in the shade, there will be less change, but the center will be more chartreuse as well.
The thicker the leaf, the less slug damage there will be. I use non-toxic slug pellets to keep the damage down.

great answer mom ...

i will add ...

blueness is a waxy coating... at least half if not more hosta ... even if not blue.. have a waxy coating ...

that wax is variable over the season ... depending on many variables which would affect wax.. heat.. sun .. water abuse.. etc ...

boy.. now that i think about it.. this lesson could go on for pages ..

then you have genetics ....

you can have hosta that come up totally green .. and a center develops later in the season ...

and those that come up with a center.. and totally green later in the season ...

and every derivation in between ....

IF IT WERE ME ... i would like the ever changing aspect of a potted plant ...

a great plant for changing .. try gold standard at the link .... from green.. to yellow centered.. to near parchment center by late summer ... truly a bullet proof plant.. that will multiply like rabbits and be a spot light in your garden ...

as for slugs... check the FAQ's .... the remedy is prevention [???... lol] ... and can be a simple as 10% vinegar or ammonia sprayed on the undersides of the plant every once in a while .. to kill the buggers ...

if the pot has prior problems.. i would empty it.. sterilize it [10% bleach] .. and start with fresh soil ....

BTW.. what happened to torchlight.. slugs never kill a hosta.. they just make it ugly ....

of course .. there are a multitude of commercial products to kill slugs ...

good luck

ken

PS: though wayside puts out a glorious catalog.. we can refer you to a multitude of hosta sellers who can provide thousands of choices.. rather than the 20 or 30 they offer.. and most likely .. for half the price ...

PPS: zowie.. try Paradigm at the hosta library ... probably one of the most slug resistant hosta you can get.. very thick leaved .... and great late season yellow color ... some say brass or GOLD ... why fool with yellow.. if you can achieve gold ....

Here is a link that might be useful: hosta library ....

Thank you for being so nice. I actually have 2 hostas, Gold Standard and Torchlight. You're right about Gold Standard's color variation throughout the growing season, I just had never thought of it before. Its rather pretty for the first part of our season but poops out too early in my zone (as do I - but I must go on anyway). On the plus side, it's seldom bothered by slugs and is planted in the ground. Torchlight does much better at holding its foliage until late October or November and its colors are remarkably stable. It's still potted but away from slugs; I even divided it last year so now I have two pots of it. I got lucky when I blundered into buying it I think...Also thanks for the info on the wax coating. I didn't realize it changed throughout the season. Is a thicker coating why some Hostas tolerate a hot climate better then others?..So the upshot of finding a gold centered hosta that holds it's bright center is slim to none. I certainly understand the child's hair analogy as I was born blonde, but am now a Clairol "Born Blonde". Again, thank you for taking the time to help me........Maryl

It is a good idea to have Torchlight in a container since you can better see the red petioles.
There are many yellow-centered hostas, some popular being:

Small_Small_Small

Chinese Sunrise

Heart and Soul

Just So

Kabitan

Little Sunspot

Olive Branch

Pee Dee Gold Flash

Rainforest Sunrise

Sitting Pretty

Medium_Medium_Medium

Bright Lights

Captain Kirk

Darwin's Standard

Fortunei Albopicta

Fragrant Bouquet

Inniswood

June

Lakeside Cha Cha

Lakeside April Snow

Lakeside Dragonfly

Lakeside Party Dress

Lucy Vitols

Midwest Magic

Moonlight

On Stage

Paradise Power

Pineapple Upsidedown Cake

September Sun

So Sweet

Spritzer

Sweet Home Chicago

Torchlight

Touch of Class

Large_Large_Large

Delta Dawn

Earth Angel

Gold Standard

Golden Meadows

Great Expectations

Guacamole

Montana Kinkaku

Orange Marmalade

Paradigm

Paul's Glory

Rascal

Sea Dream

Stained Glass

Papou