My 'Blue Angel' gets to about 30" (sans flowers). If blue is what you're after, it should work. Otherwise, my montana 'Aureomarginata' is probably my tallest, though narrower.

tj

My Blue Angel is only 22", but has only been in its present location for two years. Hoping it gets taller in the next couple of years. It's planted in rather dry shade, next to a Honey Locust tree. The Hosta is healthy, but a slow grower, IMHO.

You might consider the Hosta species, nigrescens for a tall, vase-like, sun-tolerant, slug-resistant majestic looking plant. You can see a nice pic of it in the Hosta Library. I realize you're not intrersted in the flowers, but this one puts on quite a show with its scapes that can reach 8'.

Julie

Forgot to mention....
My nigrescens is 29" tall.

Julie

My Blue Angel, in its 4th season, is about as tall as my knee. I have seen one, approximately 30 years old and untouched (at Savory's) that was probably 4' tall.

For height, look at montana Aureomarginata or Ebb Tide

Thanks! Anything between 22 and 30 would be pretty good for that spot. That location does not get any direct sun, just filtered. There is a multi-trunked pine overhead, on which I have trimmed the lower branches to bare them (I call it the "zen" tree treatment). It goes in tomorrow.

My largest Blue Angel is 66 by 28....It sits within a couple of inches of touching a Sun Power that is 68 by 33.....

Both shaded by a sugar maple.

Blue Angel is the largest hosta I grow based on the width of a mature clump, although I have several varieties that are taller but take up less real estate in the garden. It also has the largest leaves, although that is partially because it is being grown in nearly full shade.

My oldest Blue Angel runs 37-38 inches tall in a year with excellent weather conditions, around 35-36 inches tall in an average year. The flower scapes would add another 18 inches or so, as they angle outward rather than growing straight up. This plant is consistently around 8 feet wide, and is in almost full shade. The leaf size runs right around 16 x 20 inches on the largest leaves. I do not fertilize or mulch, but do water heavily during a dry summer. I also have a BA that is around 4 years old from tissue culture that's about 35 inches tall and 4 feet wide, but it's in a fairly crowded spot, which will tend to make a large hosta grow taller rather than spreading out.

It's possible to keep a BA at a manageable size if you take off a few divisions in the spring as soon as the eyes are visible. Otherwise it will continue to spread out as long as there is room for it to do so. Blue Angel will take anything from full shade to full sun, although it will be a very dark green most of the season in full sun and the leaf size will be smaller. In plenty of shade it keeps it's blue coloration for at least half the summer, sometimes more.

BA that does not get 3 to 4 feet tall .. is probably not BA
ken

My neighbor Carol, "Just one more hosta" has several Blue Angels, and everyone is over 4 foot easily and probably 6 plus feet wide. All her hostas are huge. I'll tell her to measure them.

Boy, I am really looking forward to this one! I put it at the focal point. I pulled out another hosta and relocated it. BA is closer to the trunk of the pine than the other hostas: I'm thinking that might slow its growth (root competition). Though when I pulled the other one out, I didn't notice it being especially rooty in there.

I just went and measured my Blue Andel,
She is 37 inches high,and 88 inches wide.
I have about 4, only measured this one though.They are all about the same size, hopes this helps.One of my favorites.
cAROL

Just a thought in another direction...when height matters, I often set a potted hosta in the garden on some kind of pedestal,usually a 10-12" round of log, cut to whatever height I need. I use a pot in a color that either blends or complements the plantings around it. Some blue-hued hostas look stunning in torquoise green pots. If using a ceramic or clay pot, I set a hosta planted in a plastic pot inside the ceramic/clay pot rather than potting it directly. That way I can bring the ceramic pot into a protected area in the winter. No cracked pots using this method. And much lighter to move around, too. By setting an elevated pot just behind a newly planted hosta, I find that it creates interest while the little one is developing into its mature height. Then it can go off to another spot.

Blue Angel is registered as maturing to 36 inches tall and 60 inches wide, and would be expected to reach that size under average garden conditions. My largest BA is most definitely Blue Angel, not some other variety. It came to me from Jerry Hadrava, who was a noted hybridizer and grower, and who knew more about the growing of hostas than anyone else I have met. I never saw a mislabeled plant on his acreage--he was scrupulous about accuracy in labeling. It's been in place for over 15 years, hence the wide spread. I don't see any claim or mention of BA growing 4 feet tall other than in Ken's post, nor have I ever seen one that approaches 4 feet in height. In fact I have yet to see a hosta of any variety that is over 4 feet tall--most that look that tall measure out around 40-42 inches.

I have found over the course of decades of growing my own hostas and visiting many other hosta gardens that in almost every garden, there will be a few varieties that are sited in the perfect spot and exceed the registered size. This is obviously more apparent in hosta varieties that are larger, but if you measure enough hostas, you will also find oversized clumps of medium and small varieties, too. Other examples in my own garden include Green Piecrust, registered as a large, which grows to 39 inches tall and around 6 feet across, Pacific Blue Edger, registered as small, which gets to 18 inches tall and 36-40 inches across, Tokudama Aureonebulosa and Flavocircilanis, registered as small to medium, which grow to 24 inches tall and over 3 feet across, and Venusta, which although only 3-4 inches tall, has clumped out to 36 inches across. In contrast, neither of my Sum & Substance plants has ever gone over 3 feet in height--they don't get enough sun and are not well sited.

Of course it does help to live in Iowa--Mark Zilis has said repeatedly that Iowa has the largest hostas in the country. Some areas of the country will naturally produce larger hostas than other areas. This is a result not only of climate, but of soil and water composition.

I'm intrigued by the idea of growing BA in a raised pot. It would have to be a very, very large pot, because BA has robust roots, and would be easily stunted in too small a container. Both of my more mature BA have root systems that spread out nearly as far as the leaf spread, and they run down around 12 inches. You would also want to provide supplemental feeding every year, and plenty of water. But if a BA could be brought to a normal 36 x 60 size in a pot, it would be spectacular.

The nigrescens is a good suggestion, as well as nigrescens elatior, and even taller plant under good conditions. These and BA are robust and 3-4'. Of course, a well watered specimen will stand taller.

On another course, we've had astounding luck with Victory and Abba Dabba Do, and the latter is one of the fastest growers, even in heavy shade. It is, however, in terms of height, in want of LOTS of water lest the outer leaves droop to the ground. In well-drained soil we're sure one could not begin to over-water it! Besides, it's lovely . . .