Hostas come in a wide variety of sizes and forms, so if you really want to, you can grow them till they outgrow you!
The giant hostas that are frequently offered are Empress Wu, Sum & Substance, and Gentle Giant Hostas, which can grow up to be 5 to 6 feet wide.
After five years, giant hostas grow to their maximum size. However, it might take longer if they aren’t receiving the nutrition and sunlight they need.
Thankfully, there are a few strategies to guarantee that your extra-big hosta variety grows as huge as it can.
Continue reading to learn about the several varieties of enormous hostas and how to cultivate them into lovely perennials that bloom.
How to use Giant Hosta
Nowadays, there are so many varieties of huge hosta that the only restriction on how you may utilize them is your creativity.
Whether they are planted alone as a specimen or in a mass for an extensive area covering, the enormous hostas create fantastic focus points.
In a more sunny area, hosta varieties like “Key West” or “Sum and Substance” may create excellent focal points.
They both have vivid yellow foliage that contrasts well with the surrounding greenery. They will get greener as the solar intensity decreases.
In the darker areas of your garden, Hosta ‘Blueberry Waffles’ or Hosta ‘Blue Angel’ may serve as focus points.
When displayed as a mature clump, the variegation on Hosta ‘Bridal Falls’ and Hosta ‘Liberty’ is simply gorgeous!
The giants may be strategically grouped in a large garden to great effect. When sufficiently near to one another, they act as a weed barrier by blocking all light to any weeds that attempt to grow under their canopy.
Giant hosta varieties
These hostas are all enormous. They may be anywhere from five and six feet broad and two to four feet tall, and those are only the dimensions of the clumps.
The height and breadth extend at least a foot further for both height and width when the leaves are taken into consideration.
It’s enough to make you wonder if the gardener dusted the earth with one of those “Eat Me” cakes from Alice in Wonderland just by taking a glance at one of them.
Empress Wu giant hosta
The average size of Empress Wu Hosta is 5–6 feet broad and 3–4 feet tall. Established plants have been reported to grow up to 8′ broad when growing in ideal circumstances!
Hosta Empress Wu leaves are around 18′′ long and 15′′ broad at their widest point. Typically, flower stalk scapes reach a height of 36 to 40 inches.
Huge, flat leaves and a mellow green tint across the whole plant give your landscape the subtle depth it needs.
This hosta produces light lavender blooms in the spring, which give a pleasing flash of color without being garish.
Empress Wu is the only gigantic plant you need to hunt for if you want thick, leathery veins. It comes as no surprise that this plant has all the beauty of royalty as it was named after the first and only female empress of China.
Sum And Substance hosta
The average size of Sum and Substance Hostas is 2′–3′ tall and 4′–6′ broad. Sum & Substance Hostas have leaves that are 15 inches broad at their widest point and 18 inches long on average.
Often, flower stalk scapes reach heights of 40 to 44 inches.
This green plant has deeply veined, curled leaves. Sum & Substance tolerates full sun well and thrives well in hot areas (it even helps bring out the best color).
Midsummer sees flowers blooming on it as well. Its vastness and more airy aspect would make any landscape seem more substantial.
Read my article on the best hosta companion plants.
Hirao Majesty hosta
Most Hirao Majesty Hostas reach heights of 2 to 3 feet and widths of 5 to 6 feet.
The Hirao Majesty hosta’s leaves are around 16 inches long and 10 inches broad at their widest point. Often, flower stalk scapes reach a height of 40 inches.
Hostas called Hirao Majesty have glossy, downward-pointing leaves. The leaves have attractive ripples. Flowers have a light lavender purple color and bloom on long stems.
Bigfoot Hosta
Bigfoot hostas usually reach heights of 2 to 3 feet and widths of 5 to 6 feet.
Bigfoot Hostas have leaves that are around 12 inches broad at their widest point and 19 inches long overall. Typically, flower stalk scapes reach a height of 30 to 34 inches.
Bigfoot hostas feature blue-green, nicely-dimpled leaves. The white blooms start to bloom in the middle of summer.
Donahue Piecrust hosta
Most Donahue Piecrust Hostas reach heights of 2 to 3 feet and widths of 5 to 6 feet.
Donahue Piecrust Hosta leaves are around 12 inches long and 7 inches broad at their widest point. The average height of a flower stalk scape is roughly 26 inches.
A nice example of a large hosta with rippling leaf margins is Donahue piecrust (hence the piecrust name).
The blooms are white, and the leaves are a lovely bright green hue (although the stalks are short, making the flowers somewhat insignificant).
Read: How to plant hosta bulbs in a pot.
Big Mama hosta
Giant Mama hostas often reach heights of 2 feet and widths of 5 to 6 feet. Giant Mama Hostas have leaves that are around 18′′ long and 13′′ broad at their widest point. Often, flower stalk scapes reach a height of 40 inches.
Deep ribbing may be seen on the green-blue leaves of Big Mama hostas. Many of lavender blooms are produced by these plants, and they are attractively exhibited on long stalks above the foliage.
Gentle Giant hosta
The average size of a Gentle Giant Hosta is 5–6 feet broad and 3–4 feet tall. The largest leaves of Gentle Giant Hostas are around 14′′ long and 12′′ broad. Typically, flower stalk scapes reach heights of 52 to 56 inches.
The Gentle Giant Hosta has the appearance of always stretching upward. This hosta is the most upright on the list due to its cupped, upward-pointing leaves.
The leaves have a wonderful waxy finish as long as they aren’t constantly exposed to direct sunlight, and the whole plant has a blue-green tint.
It’s uncommon to come across a plant whose leaves may serve as cups filled with lovely dew in the morning. Also, they produce tiny lavender blooms every year, which give your yard a touch of playfulness.
T-Rex giant hosta
T-Rex Hostas usually reach heights of 2 to 3 feet and widths of 6 to 7 feet. T-Rex Hostas have leaves that are 14 inches broad at their widest point and 18 inches long on average. Typically, flower stalk scapes reach heights of 32 to 36 inches.
The majority of other huge hosta cultivars are “flatter” than T Rex hostas. With the exception of the dip in the center of a T Rex leaf, they really resemble Empress Wu hostas extremely closely. These cupped, veined leaves sometimes catch and collect water because of their cup shape.
The whole plant retains a pleasant shade of green without any blue undertones (unlike Gentle Giant and Empress Wu). Moreover, they produce white blooms towards the start of the summer.
Read: Are pink Hosta Real?
Blue Angel hosta
Blue Angel Hostas often reach heights of 3 feet and widths of 5 to 6 feet. Hostas called Blue Angel have large, 12-inch broad leaves that reach around 16 inches long. Typically, flower stalk scapes reach heights of 44 to 48 inches.
The Blue Angel has definitely lived up to its moniker. It features delicately veined leaves with a deep blue color that contrasts well with other foliage that is more yellowish/green in tone.
The summer is when Blue Angel flowers bloom, and they are not as thin or wispy as the hosta blossoms from Empress Wu. These white blooms feature robust stalks and pointed buds.
Jade Cascade hosta
The typical size of Jade Cascade hostas is 5–6 feet broad and 3–4 feet tall.
Jade Cascade Hostas have slender leaves that are around 20 inches long and 10 inches broad at their widest point. Often, flower stalk scapes reach heights of 40 to 44 inches.
Indigo Cascade Hostas are distinguished by their glossy, pointed, dark green leaves that resemble an arrow.
The leaves point downward, as the species name indicates. The glossy, smooth leaves have little ripples around their margins.
August Moon Hosta
Huge, heart-shaped leaves range in color from brilliant gold to chartreuse depending on how much sunlight they get.
They are slug-resistant because of their corrugated, wavy, and sturdy construction.
tolerates full light, which will enhance the leaves’ golden color.
On 24″ scapes, pale lavender, open bell-shaped blooms bloom profusely in mid-to-late summer.
Hostas are very well-liked perennials in modern gardens because of how adaptable they are in the setting.
Few other plants can replace the void left by their subdued hues, towering flower scapes, and wide, coarse leaves in landscape designs.
Its broad leaves provide the withering bulb foliage considerable protection. Hostas thrive in urban settings where the air may be contaminated by things like automobile emissions.
Big Daddy Hosta
‘Big Daddy’ is one of the best huge blue hostas on the market, forming a massive pile of thick, chalky blue leaves.
When grown, the spherical leaves develop cups and puckers. This hosta is more resistant to slugs thanks to heavy material.
Bell-shaped, nearly-white blooms appear barely above the leaves in late July.
Hostas are very well-liked perennials in modern gardens because of how adaptable they are in the setting.
Few other plants can replace the void left by their subdued hues, towering flower scapes, and wide, coarse leaves in landscape designs.
Its broad leaves provide the withering bulb foliage considerable protection. Hostas thrive in urban settings where the air may be contaminated by things like automobile emissions.
How to grow giant hostas?
Fortunately for you, hostas are very simple to cultivate, which is one of the reasons they’re so well-liked. Because of how lovely and practical they are, hostas have long been one of the most popular foliage perennials in the Country.
All you need to do to make your hosta grow larger is to add a few more stages to the standard growth procedure:
Water
Although we are aware that you currently water all of your plants, it is recommended that you give each hosta at least one inch of water each week in order to promote clump development.
Hostas are used to growing in wet soil, so if you can maintain a decent moisture level in the soil (without completely submerging them), that additional hydration can significantly speed up their pace of development.
Light
The “Signs of Illness” section will cover the lighting guidelines. Nonetheless, for the time being, it’s helpful to know that the hosta will prefer various lighting based on the color of their leaves. The appropriate amount of light or shade can greatly accelerate their development.
Don’t Divide
Some gardeners prefer to divide hostas by cutting through the center of the main clump to create two plants.
Here’s the thing: splitting a hosta into two plants can significantly slow the development of both parts.
Do not split your hostas if you want them to grow to enormous sizes. All you do is convert one significant one into two mediocre ones.
Soil
Proper soil is essential for success, and fortunately for you, there are a whopping million different methods to enhance the soil for hostas.
You may add mulch and allow it to decompose to assist the soil keeping wet, sprinkle crushed egg shells, make holes and fill them with compost (to attract worms), add Epsom salts (for magnesium deficiency), or even simply some garden fertilizer.
You don’t have to do all of them, but doing anything to improve the soil in some manner will keep your plants strong, content, and big.
Pest control
Hostas are a wonderful addition to your landscape, and the bugs agree. As well as slugs, cutworms, snails, rabbits, and even deer, like chewing on the leaves.
Adding a physical barrier around the developing hosta until it is half an inch above the ground is the best approach to keeping infant hosta away from these grazers.
After they are larger, all you have to do is locate the bugs and get rid of them on your own, maybe by swatting them. You could apply pesticides but do so at your own risk since they may also harm beneficial insects.
Trim Dead Leaves:
This is an additional insect management measure. More slugs and bugs may live among mushy, dead leaves, particularly in the winter. So, keeping them cut at least once a year (often in the winter) will prevent your hosta from turning into an insect motel.
You can read my full article on how to grow a hosta in the garden.
Signs of sickness in large hostas
Imagine cultivating a lovely hosta plant for five years—perhaps Gentle Giant or Empress Wu—and then, all of a sudden, the leaves start to wilt and die. What happened?
There are several causes for hostas to wilt and perish. Winter is one of the key causes. The leaves are not dying as autumn comes to an end and they begin to curl and become yellow.
They are going into dormancy for the winter months, and when spring returns, they will reawaken.
Although some individuals like to prune their hosta leaves in the winter, others prefer to wait until spring to avoid mistakenly removing healthy leaves that are just sleeping for the winter.
That stated, this rule does not apply if you reside in a climate without winters, such as Florida. Even though it isn’t chilly outside when the leaves begin to dry up in the winter, they are dying.
Scorching is a factor that may harm hostas and limit development. While burning on its own won’t kill a plant, it might be a sign that the plant isn’t receiving enough water, which will.
Scorching is simple to identify since it seems to be what it implies. Hosta leaves will have margins that seem crisp and charred, or scorched.
Plant your hostas where they will get the correct amount of light to prevent scorching from harming an otherwise lovely plant. But keep in mind that a plant’s hue indicates how much direct sunshine or shade it prefers.
Dark green hostas, such as Empress Wu, Gentle Giant, T Rex, and Blue Angel, will benefit from a few hours of direct sunshine, generally in the morning, but anything more than that would be harmful.
Hostas with darker colors seem to favor the shade since it cools them down more rapidly. Yet, hostas with lighter hues will resemble the sun, the Sum, and Substance. They can withstand exposure to sunlight for up to six hours (or more, in cooler climates).
Hey! I’m Madhuresh, a passionate content creator, and a Plant lover. I created Shiny Plant to explore and learn about new plants. The purpose is to provide simple and effective Gardening Tips. Hope you’ll find this informative.