{"product_id":"hosta-big-daddy","title":"Hosta 'Big Daddy'","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHosta 'Big Daddy'\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the biggest and bluest of all hostas, a plantain lily grown for the sheer drama of its foliage. Each huge, rounded leaf is a deep blue-grey, heavily puckered and cupped like beaten metal, building into a knee-high dome that brings cool, architectural structure to a shady corner. This is a plant that earns its keep from the moment the fat spring shoots unfurl.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is fully hardy, rated RHS H7, so it sails through the coldest British winters. Being a deciduous, herbaceous perennial it dies back to a dormant crown each autumn and returns bigger and better every spring, a natural rhythm we explain in our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003ehardy exotics guide\u003c\/a\u003e. The thick, waxy leaves also make it one of the more slug and snail resistant hostas, a real advantage in a group of plants those pests adore.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e partial to full shade, sheltered from strong afternoon sun which can scorch the leaves and fade the blue.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e fertile, humus-rich and reliably moist but well-drained; enrich with leaf mould or compost before planting.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e a giant, reaching around 55 to 65cm tall and 150 to 170cm across in time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e fully hardy across the UK (RHS H7), with no winter protection needed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eWater well through the first couple of summers to settle the clump, then mulch each spring to lock in moisture. Big Daddy is superb massed in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-shade\"\u003eplants for shade\u003c\/a\u003e, as a cooling foil among \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic border plants\u003c\/a\u003e, or grown as a bold specimen in a large container from our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pots\"\u003epots and containers\u003c\/a\u003e range. Near-white summer flowers draw in bees, adding it to the ranks of useful \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pollinators\"\u003eplants for pollinators\u003c\/a\u003e. Please note that, like all hostas, it is toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor more blue-leaved drama, pair it with \u003ca href=\"\/products\/hosta-abiqua-drinking-gourd\"\u003eHosta 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd'\u003c\/a\u003e or browse the wider \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e collection. Every plant is nursery-grown, hand-selected for a strong crown and healthy roots, and carefully packed to arrive in superb condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"11cm \/ 0.75L","offer_id":58089235448191,"sku":"HOSTBIGDAD11","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/bigdaddy.jpg?v=1785939371","url":"https:\/\/growtropicals.com\/products\/hosta-big-daddy","provider":"GrowTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}