Growing guide · Perennials

Hosta

How to grow Hosta 'Big Daddy'.

Blue, puckered, and built like a tank.

Light
Part sun, shade
Water
Moderate
Zones
3–9
Size
20–24 in. tall, 30–36 in. wide
Spacing
3 ft apart.
Pets
Not on the ASPCA pet-safe list; keep it out of reach
See sizes · from $37.99
Large clump of round, cupped, puckered blue-gray hosta leaves

Light

Part to full shade. Blue hostas keep their color best out of afternoon sun.

Water

Water deeply in dry spells, especially the first two summers.

Planting and soil

Plant spring or early fall, crown at soil level, in soil with plenty of organic matter.

Feeding

Compost or a balanced slow-release fertilizer in spring.

Pruning

Cut flower stalks after bloom. Clear foliage after hard frost.

Through the year

Shoots up mid-spring. Flowers in June–July. It takes 3–4 years to show full size and puckering.

If something's off

Deer eat hostas. Slugs bother it less than thin-leaved types. Hostas are toxic to dogs and cats.

Plays well with

Plant it with friends.

Japanese Painted Fern 'Pictum'
Athyrium niponicum var. pictumJapanese Painted Fern 'Pictum' from $29.99
Lungwort 'Dark Vader'
Pulmonaria 'Dark Vader'Lungwort 'Dark Vader' from $34.99
Coral Bells 'Southern Comfort'
Heuchera villosa hybridCoral Bells 'Southern Comfort' from $35.99

Why we stock it: A bold blue specimen for shade that holds its color and shape all season.

That's everything we know about growing it. Thanks for reading.

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