1. Blue Angel
2. Lakeside Ripples
3. Sum and Substance
4. Key West
5. Winter Snow
6. Blue Mammoth
7. Victory
8. Millenium
9. Earth Angel

10. Lakeside Maverick
11. Blue Umbrellas
12. Jade Cascade
13. Komodo Dragon
14. Paradigm
15. Sea Blue Monster

Five's not enough. BTW, Sagae is not here because it does not appear on Don's "Very Large Hosta" list.

Steve

When I got my first hosta, I did not know I was getting some biggies. I mean, from the VL list. So I have growing since May 2011 Blue Angel, Winter Snow. And since May of 2010 in containers S & S. And May of 2012 3 pots of Victory.

I don't think it should count against me that these are in my garden, so I want to be able to choose a couple more big guys at least. Like Empress Wu, Earth Angel, Paradigm.

Also I have one container with 3 Sagae in it (two plants but one separated so I left it apart to make three, a nicer planting than two in one pot). If Sagae does not appear on the Very Large Hosta list, it must miss some important criterium and I am curious what that might be. At the very least, it spreads where it wishes to go, so I'm looking forward to turning it loose in a raised open bed maybe this next year.

Look into the hosta lists of Land of the Giants Hosta Farm and look for the VL ident. Their plants usually are divisions of (large) mature plants. Mickfieldshostas then will show the real mature size width and height to calibrate any 'Very Large' list.
I like large hostas. They can not be missed in the landscape and I can not step on them by accident.
Bernd

1.Blue Angel is a must.
2. Guardian Angel
3. Regal Splendor
4. Earth Angel
5. Komodo Dragon

Jurassic Park will get to ten feet across. Mine is 4 years old and is five feet across. If you're a little patient, it will definitely be one of the biggest.

Westy

Blue Angel
Sieboldiana Elegans
Sum and Substance
Regal Splendor

Ed

I forgot Liberty

T-Rex should be on the list,and anyone who has seen my Sagae,would not say it isn't large! Phil

{{gwi:1028272}}

1. Blue Angel 5' wide by 2 1/2' tall
2. Sagae (because in my garden, she is BIG)3rd year plant @ 3' wide and 3' tall
3. Earth Angel 4'wide by 2 1/2' tall
4. Frances Williams 4' wide by 2 1/2' tall
5. Paul's Glory 4' wide by 2 1/2' tall

FW and PG are HUGE in my garden. I have newer hosta, but I have to say that I love the oldies but goodies. My First love is BA, but my all time love is Sagae. Her scapes are 3 1/2' tall and just gorgeous.

OK, I guess we all have different ideas of what is a Giant Hosta.

According to the Library the AHS rules for cut leaf shows indicate that a Giant Hosta has a mature foliage height of greater than 28 inches. Maybe Paul's Glory and Frances Williams are that tall. But I'd like to see a pic with a yardstick to be sure.

Steve

Of those hostas I have, these are the maximum heights I have found on the internet (36 in and more) :

Empress Wu 48 inches heigth max
Blue Mammoth 48
Jurassic Park 40
Blue Angel 36
Blue Umbrellas 36
Krossa Regal 36
Northern Exposure 36
Regal Splendor 36
Sum of All 36

Liberty (30), S&S (30), Big Daddy (30), Blue Hawai (32), Guardian Angel (30), Elegans (30), T-Rex (30), Komodo Dragon (30), Vim & Vigor (34), Atlantis (30), Singing in the Rain (32), Titanic (32), Victory (30), Parhelion (30), Eskimo Pie (30) are all less.
Bernd

At risk of appearing arguementive, I have stood in the shade of a very mature Sagae ready for shipping at a growers field. It was root-balled like a tree, and granted the root ball was 3' diameter, the top of the plant was WELL over my head and I am 6'3"+. I was so impressed I bought a young-un which is now in it's 3rd year and measured 15"h x 42"w during a drought.

Sagae

Blue Angel (mine is still a kid at 21"tall x 51"
) Earth Angel (mine is a baby from Hallson last fall)

Regal Splendor (mine is only in 3rd year but starting to stand tall-and gorgeous)

Empress Wu (just bought a baby two weeks ago)

Krossa Regal (mine is still a kid too! In human age terms not yet legal to buy beer in Illinois)

Parhelion: She, KR, and RS will be standing in line for their 1st beer together - but Parhelion is already 24" x 51"

Sum & Substance (Mine is mature at 28" x 55")

Liberty (Will it get tall enough? Mine is in 2nd spring)

If I think of another I will go out and get it (LOL). That is how my list of "Must Have" is defined. I know what variegation I want but haven't pinned down a specific hosta.

Just a comment on my hostas heights. Last year I entered a drought in July and no matter how much I could afford to water, they ALL lost 4"-6" in height from earlier measurements due to sagging petiole. This year I am already in my second month of drought. In May and June combined I have had less than 2 1/2" of rain TOTAL. Can I anticipate my hostas would measure taller if they had adequate water?

Les

"taller if they had adequate water?". My observation is YES. Also fertilization and an early mild (not hot) spring will help. I had some surprisingly huge and tall hostas this year.
Bernd

In my yard the best of the ones that are currently giants are Sun Power, montana Aureomarginata, Journey's End, Elegans and Regal Splendor.

I do not have a yardstick, but do have a tape measure. I will try to get pics in the next couple of days. The only time I go out now is at dusk because the humidity is just awful! I will add that I have real loamy soil and I water my hosta religiously.

Powder Blue is supposed to be big. I got one just planted this spring as the "freebie" from Hallsons. It's supposed to be 64" by 29" with 14" by 11" leaf size!
Here's a pic of the new baby in it's spot-- Will probably have to move some smaller ones around it when it gets too big! :)

Atlantis
Earth Angel
Journey's End
Liberty
Sum and Substance
Sagae

This is my current list of must have giants, and I just made it by getting Atlantis this year.

Just skimmed through the posts, so sorry if this is a repeat . . . Victory is a nice large one! I've had mine just a couple years and it is taller than any others I have! Also, leaves are large.

One not mentioned, montana Aureomarginata.

tj