Hosta 'Big Daddy'

Hosta 'Big Daddy': Powdery Blue and Built Like a Boss

Big, round, puckered blue leaves with the heft of a man who owns his own barbecue and won't let anyone else touch the tongs. 'Big Daddy' takes up space and MAKES NO APOLOGIES.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hosta 'Big Daddy'
• Common Name: Plantain Lily, Hosta
• Height: 60–65 cm (24–26 in)
• Spread: 120–150 cm (4–5 ft)
• Flowers: Near white to very pale lavender, on scapes to about 90 cm (3 ft)
• Bloom Time: Early to midsummer (June to July)
• Foliage: Large, round, thick, cupped and deeply puckered blue leaves with a powdery coating, turning greener by late summer
• Features: Good slug resistance

Where to Plant: Use it as the anchor of a shade bed, a specimen under a high tree canopy, or the back row of a woodland border. It tolerates black walnut, which suits older yards, but protect it where deer and rabbits roam.

Companion Plants: Ligularia 'Othello' carries orange flowers at 90 to 120 cm from July to September, a warm note behind the hosta. Brunnera 'Jack of Diamonds' flowers blue in April and May at 36 to 41 cm. Galium odoratum fills gaps at 10 to 25 cm with white flowers in May and June. All three like shade to partial sun with steady moisture.

Plant Care: Plant in part sun to full shade, in moist, rich, well-drained soil. Morning sun is fine, but hot afternoon sun burns off the blue coating and can scorch the leaves. Water deeply in dry spells and mulch to keep the soil cool. Give it room from the start, as it takes a few seasons to reach full size and puckering. Remove spent flower scapes and clear the leaves after a hard frost. Divide in spring if you want more, though it's happier left alone.

History: 'Big Daddy' came from Paul Aden of Baldwin, New York, one of the most prolific hosta breeders of the 20th century, who first registered it in the 1970s and re-registered it in 2010. Its blue colour and heavy, puckered leaves show the influence of Hosta sieboldiana.

Final Thoughts: Thick leaves, good slug resistance and the presence of a head of the household. Put it in shade and GIVE IT THE RECLINER.