Giant Hosta Discussion

12 years ago

My favorite hostas are the Giant sized ones and I want to add more but would like to hear other's experiences first before I decide which ones to buy. I have Blue Angel, Earth Angel, Guardian Angel, Empress Wu, and a few others that fall into the very large/giant category. I am pleased with the growth rate of the Angels. Wu is growing but a little slower, but I think that is because I bought it as a small TC so it had more growing up to do compared to the others.

Which Giants grow best for you. The ones I am thinking of are:

Final Summation

Jurassic Park

T Rex

Victory

Lady Isobel Barnett

Brutus

I would like to hear about other Giant ones that you like/ do good for you though.

Also,

Does anyone know if Amos, Big Kahuna, and Humpback Whale are for sale anywhere or if they will be for sale in the future?

Featured Answer

paul_in_mn

12 years ago

All the giants I have are too young to comment on growth yet. Ken shared pics of Lady Isobel Barnett, Komodo Dragon, Niagara Falls, and Millenium a year or two back - maybe he can repost some of those.

Here's Guardian Angel and friends from 2010 AHS Tours that impressed

Satisfaction

Golden Sculpture

Parhelion

Take your pick

Paul

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (23)

danimal77
12 years ago
I have the one's you mentioned and love them. In addition to those, a few of my other very large favorites include...

Parhelion
Titanic
Bressingham Blue
Atlantis
Steve Massachusetts
12 years ago
Mississippi Delta is still young in my garden, but I really like the plant shape and the leaf shape.

Steve
Related Discussions
I'm back and ready to discuss HOSTA!!! :)
Q
Comments (7)
HaHa! I added my 2 cents to the topiary thread. Too funny! My favorite part of the thread is the still! ;) I am not exactly a new comer. I was here last year for a bit. I've been growing hosta for close to 12 years now. I had my gardens so packed that I HAD no choice but to rethink, redesign, and share LOTS and LOTS! HaHa! I am referred to around here as the hostaholic. :D That's OK, I can think of far much worse to be addicted to! I'm really enjoying all the pics that everyone posts. When I finish my gardens up front, I'll post some pics. I have a friend who lives 2 hours away that has given me close to 30 fully mature hosta that I am trying to incorporate, so it may be awhile. All worth it in the end. Thanks for welcoming me back!
...See More
Giant Hostas In Containers?
Q
Comments (22)
Nice bathtub. It is built similar to the barrels they age whiskey in and sell as half barrels....just not that diameter. I'd love to find something like that wooden tub and use it as a fish pond/fountain. Is your existing pot with the Empress 24inches in diameter or less? I put a link below to what is called a POT LIFTER which can deal with 200 lbs up to 24 inches diameter. I was thinking about getting one when I can no longer lift or wiggle the bigger pots around the garden alone. You might could rig up something similar to fit your current pot if it happens to be really too large for such a lifter. I hope you throw an Empress Wu COMING OUT PARTY for the friends ensconcing her on the new throne? Why not think at least about a suitable consort? Something like Yellow Emperor? :) Hosta can be so much fun. Here is a link that might be useful: Pot lifter 200 lbs 24 inch pot limit
...See More
Hosta Giants 2018 ...
Q
Comments (26)
Shadow..my Sum and Substances have large leaves but overall they aren't as large as BA..it's good to know that Empress Wu is slow for others too..maybe this is our year!.. peren..your Blue Angel is bigger than a lot of bathrooms!!..before I moved BA it was 4 to 5 ft..it's a littIe smaller since the move..I should measure it this year..I think it should be bigger this year..
...See More
Giant Hosta Recommendation
Q
Comments (9)
I have an Empress Wu that has yet to "empress" me. Okay, bad puns aside, I find it rather blah but perhaps because it hasn't attained its full size yet and other than the size, it's just a plain green hosta, imo. I am eyeing a Wu-La-La - I admit to having a thing for variegated hostas and find them so much more interesting than a solid color one, so I am biased, but I think I will try this one. At least a little something more to look at while it gets big. Sorry, guess that's not a recommendation from personal experience but just throwing out an idea. I do have a Komodo Dragon which is also still attaining full size and imo it's more attractive than Empress Wu. Good luck and let us know what you go with. :) Dee Who is going to go look up Final Summation because, well, what Ken said....
...See More
woodthrush
12 years ago
others
Hercules
Sum of All
Winter Snow
I think Gentle Giant is going to be a big 'un too.
timhensley
12 years ago
T-Rex has been a steady growe for me. It's about 4' wide this year. It was in a gallon pot 2 years ago and about 1/2 the size.
franknjim
12 years ago
I have these but most are still young.

Sizes listed are from the hosta registry.

Alvatine Taylor (30x30)
Atlantis (30x70)
Blue Angel (36x48)
Empress Wu (50x108) the fast growing hosta I have ever had. In it's second full year with me now.
Komodo Dragon (30x84)
Krossa Regal (36x36)
Liberty (39x39)
Millenium (36x54)
Regal Splendor (38x40)
Samual Blue not supposed to be a giant but it measures 31" tall x 81" wide
Solar Flare (30x72)
Sum & Substance (36x60)
Ulysses S. Grant(35x65)
Victory (30x70)
Steve Massachusetts
12 years ago
Frank,

Virginia Skaggs reported on Hostapix that the original clump of Empress Wu is now 52+ inches high. Oh, and it's still growing.

Steve
Gesila
12 years ago
These are my giants that are growing at a fast rate for me...

Jurassic Park
Komodo Dragon
Sum It Up
Parhelion
Empress Wu

So-So...

T-Rex

Thumbs down on these...

Sum of All
Vim and Vigor
Steve Massachusetts
12 years ago
Here's a couple we saw just a few weeks ago.

Tiffany's Godzilla, almost every garden had one.

I don't know if this is classified as a Giant, but it looked like it. Royal Flush.

One of my favorites, Key West. Not fully grown, yet.

The biggest Blue we saw was Betsy.

And we also saw a Giant Streaked Hosta, Betsy's Baby (NR)

Arc de Triomph. I love the way this one overlaps at the base of the leaves.

Steve
thisismelissa
12 years ago
Final Summation (full sun) is a very slow grower for me, as is T Rex (full shade).

Victory is a good grower... got large leaves quickly but not the fasteset increaser.

Love Lady Isobel Barnett

Parhellion and Winter Snow are both good growers.

I also really love Kruggerand. Not commonly seen, but it's a STUNNER in my garden! This on seems to be hard to photograph in my garden, but once I get a good pic, I'll start another thread.
thisismelissa
12 years ago
Sagae makes a nice large clump.

Krossa Regal and Regal Splendor make large upright clumps.

Garden Party... Fast grower and nice variegation.
aka_margo
12 years ago
Sum it Up is the largest leaf hosta I have in my garden. Other big ones are: Big Daddy, Elegans, Parhelion, Victory, Choo Choo Train, and Borsch #1.
Jen
thisismelissa
12 years ago
Oh, I forgot... Sum of All... Huge leaf, good grower!

I should also note.... if you're looking for big leaves sooner than later, try to buy divisions from mature plants.

Buying TCs of a giant could set ya back 5 years.

Hallsons sells nice mature divisions (not everything, but a lot) and so does Venero.

A good rule of thumb is to first check when the plant was registered. If it was within the last 5 years, you're probably going to get a TC, unless it's marked as OS (Originators Stock). If it's an older variety, before ordering anything, send an email to the nurseryman and ask if he's selling TC's (2nd, 3rd yr, etc) or divisions from a mature plant.
woodthrush
12 years ago
Gunsmoke and Mardi Gras are a couple others.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
12 years ago
Not sure how to define "giant" but for me...

montana 'Aureomarginata'

Or even this 'On Stage' nearing 5 feet(with the montana behind)

'Alvatine Taylor'

A nearly five foot wide 'Striptease'

Over 6 foot wide 'Fragrant Bouquet'

This was 'Glory' in the spring when it was still expanding. Now about 6 feet wide.

tj
mosswitch
12 years ago
I planted t-Rex, Sum of All and Blue Angel 4 years ago. Of the three, BA is clearly the size winner with T-Rex not too far behind, growing nicely but a little more slowly. Not thrilled with SOA, it just hasn't kept up with the other two.
Gesila
12 years ago
TJ, your hostas are beautiful. How old are they?
hosta_freak
12 years ago
I notice all of you say T-Rex is slow growing. Not so in my garden,I guess he must like where he is planted,because mine is so large after only 2 years,that I had to move Liberty,and First Frost away from it,and may have to move my montana A. from it,to keep it from being overwhelmed! This is a pic from earlier this year,but you get the idea. Phil

{{gwi:887405}}
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
12 years ago
Gesila- The youngest of my Hosta pictured here is the 'On Stage' at around 10 years old and (of these pictured) its the only one I've never divided. The montana 'Aureomarginata' is the eldest at nearly 20 years old. The others are all around 15.

tj
Gesila
12 years ago
Phil, your TRex is beautiful. I've been complaining about mine all spring and summer. I think I even posted about moving it several times. Your leaves are all so uniform and the shape is beautiful. Mine are all different sizes and has an ugly shape. It had 10 eyes this spring and looks smaller than yours. I wonder if this is due to the crazy spring we had.

TJ - OK, 10 years, I was really sweating it. We'll have all the grass gone in the back yard by then. My hunch that I should stop buying hostas is probably correct based on your pictures!
in ny zone5
12 years ago
In my own tabulation of my hostas I also listed the potential mature heights I could find on the internet, starting with 34 inches :
34 inches : Vim and Vigor,
36 inches : Northern Exposure, Blue Angel, Blue Umbrellas, Krossa Regal, Regal Splendor, Sum of All,
40 inches : Jurassic Park,
48 inches : Blue Mammoth, Empress Wu,
None of mine above has reached those heights yet, but some with lesser potentials have theirs. I am looking forward to the size race in my yard the next years.
Bernd
pagrdnr
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for the pics!

Who has Gentle Giant? I forgot about that one. Does it seem to be a good grower?
ademink
12 years ago
My T Rex is also a beast. Of the ones you mentioned, I also have L.I.B. Shrunk this year b/c of the drought last year but it was HUGE last year.

My Garden Party is outta control - huge, love it!