Hosta 'Empress Wu' is the largest-growing hosta on the market, derived from forcing Hosta 'Big John' into some unnatural self-satisfaction. Our guess is that this giant hosta has both Hosta sieboldiana and Hosta nigrescens in its background. In the garden, our vigorous three-year-old plants are already 3' tall x 6' wide, on their way to a mature size of 4' tall x 9' wide. The extremely large clumps of glossy green leaves that emerge blue-green in spring are topped with 5' tall stalks of light lavender flowers in June (NC). As you no doubt guessed, this giant hosta is named after the late Chinese Empress of the same name. Maintenance: Like most Hosta lilies, 'Empress Wu' needs no special maintenance. Be sure you allow plenty of room, since this giant growing hosta can become quite large, smothering other smaller hostas if they aren't planted on adequate spacing. When the clumps get old, they are easy to divide and replant. You can do this anytime the ground isn't frozen, but dividing as they new shoots emerge is logistically easiest. Growing Conditions: As with all hostas with large foliage, you'll need plenty of soil moisture to keep the leaves hydrated and growing larger. If you'd like to maximize the size, add plenty of compost or manure to the bed. 'Empress Wu' hosta prefers light open shade, where it will reach its maximum size. It does not tolerate direct sun, and growth slows dramatically when planted in dense shade. Garden Value: This giant hosta can cover a lot of ground, so these are very useful where there is a large area of woodland to cover in vegetation. Natural Impact: Bees are the top pollinators for all hostas.
