Hosta Shadowland® Giant 'Gigantosaurus'
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Hosta Shadowland® Giant 'Gigantosaurus': Monster Blue Leaves With Wavy Edges
Very large blue leaves with a wavy yellow margin that turns creamy white in summer. 'Gigantosaurus' is the friendly monster under the maple, and IT WOULD LIKE A BIGGER POT, PLEASE.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Hosta hybrid
- Common Name: Plantain lily, hosta
- Series: Shadowland® Giant, a Proven Winners® perennial
- Height: 76–81 cm (30–32 in)
- Spread: 180–200 cm (6–6.5 ft)
- Flowers: Pale lavender, held just above the foliage
- Bloom Time: Early to midsummer (June to July)
- Foliage: Very large blue leaves with a wavy yellow margin that turns creamy white in summer
- Features: Suits large containers
- Plant Patent: USPP 35,135 / Can PBRAF
Where to Plant: Use it as a focal point in a big shady bed, under a high tree canopy, or as a bold backdrop at the back of a border. A few planted together cover ground like a shrub border, and it also suits large containers.
Companion Plants: Behind this giant, Cimicifuga racemosa sends white flower spikes to 120 to 180 cm in July and August. Tiarella cordifolia carpets the ground at 15 to 30 cm with white flowers in May and June. Liriope 'Royal Purple' adds a grassy edge and purple flowers in August and September. All three like shade to partial sun, and their fine textures set off the huge hosta leaves.
Plant Care: Plant it in part sun to full shade, in rich, moist, well-drained soil amended with compost. Give it the full 2 metres from day one. It will use every centimetre. Water deeply during dry spells, especially while it gets established. Deer and rabbits eat hostas, so protect it if they visit. Remove the flower stems after bloom and the foliage after a hard frost. Big hostas rarely need dividing, so leave it alone unless you want more plants, and then divide in spring.
History: 'Gigantosaurus' was bred by Hans Hansen at Walters Gardens in Michigan and registered in 2021, from a streaked sport of Hosta 'Empress Wu' crossed with 'Blueberry Muffin'. It is sold in the Giant size class of the Shadowland® group of Proven Winners® hostas.
Final Thoughts: Big enough to anchor a bed, happy enough in a giant container. The hummingbirds aren't scared. YOU SHOULDN'T BE EITHER.
