Trying to post the ones that didn't develop

Regal Splendor

Young Empress Wu

Kimodo Dragon

Gave up on Paul's Glory

If that’s a young EW she’s gonna get HUGE HUGE HUGE!

Jacob, it's less than 2 years old. I have another one that I have had 4+ years and it isn't close to this. The smaller one was set on a pile of compost and pampered. This one is on the side of a hill alongside a huge pine tree and almost smothered in pine needles. I never expected it to do so well.....I did expect more of the original one. This one gets more sun and my understanding when I planted the first was EWs didn't like sun. Well that's baloney because the best growing one gets a good amount of sun. The Kimodo dragon is ~ 1 1/2 years and is doing very well too.

- Jon

EW loves sun. I had two. One did nothing so I finally sold it after four years. My other one is in full sun all day and she is a beast.

Yes, Empress Wu is the biggest of the big.

Two Earth Angels in front of Empress Wu and the Angels are not small.

This one is actually a year younger but bigger to begin with (local nursery instead of mail order from White Flower Farm). I think this is about 6 years old.

I have three Empress Wu.

This one in deep shade has the biggest leaves.

Dave

I attempted to make a hedge between my grass and the woods with a few of mine. Royal standard/sum and Substance..here the Gold standards are getting pretty large.

Regal splendor's leaves are what I would describe as medium but the plant is sure getting large. But considering how long its been in this spot I guess that makes sense. In this picture the back right hosta was as large as the one on its left. I gave the neighbor a chunk and dang it takes it time to get back to what it was.

As you can see from this 2014 picture.

Karin, you have a nice collection of big hosta that I would have thought would get pot bound very quickly.

- Jon

ademink, that is a beauty and a great setting

-Jon

just now took these pics..Empress Wu has 3 broken stems :-( I still want to find a spot with more sun..if you count the scapes my rescued Krossa Regals are the tallest hostas in my garden..Sum and Substance..big leaves but not that wide..this pic doesn't do justice to the scale of this Blue Angel..it feels gigantic in person..I took the pic from this angle because of the sun..and my hose was showing..

hc,

Here is my older, smaller EW. It is 3 separate plants. It is in a shadier spot and started a couple of years before the big guy. Probably I will divide this one up in the fall.

- Jon

Tidisolo, Beats me. It must be because they are more site fussy than light sensitive. My S&S Is 7 feet across under Walnut trees and my smaller, older EW isn't far away and is going a lot slower.

- Jon

arcy, My Regal Splendor is crowding out one of my big Sagae. Just as well as I have a good spot to move it to.

Nichol, I would say moving the EW is in order. My big one is in a bed of pine needles so maybe they like it on the acid side. About 2 years ago I planted 5 S&Ss along my property line spanning 4 feet apart between trunks of some Canadian Hemlocks stumps. They are getting huge and I think they will be touching next year!

- Jon

Jon..I agree..everyone on Gardenweb posting pics of a bigger Empress Wu has it planted in a sunnier location than mine..my Blue Angel has a much better location than my Wu and has grown really well..I'm not sure where to put it??..not much sun here Lol..

Here is one of five S&Ss (One and another in back of it, peeking). Second year and paced off at 5 feet across. Bought at some box store, most likely Loews (small size pot), so not large. OK, I confess this is the biggest of the 5 by far. Even so it is amazing. The others are big as well but......

- Jon

I don’t know how all of you plant so close to trees...... I bought the “root slayer” and it was still one heck of a job digging up a plant to near an arborvitae tree, maybe 10’ tall. Also I see some of you have hostas right up next to tree trunks.... I don’t understand how you are able to do that. Would love to plant near my red maple, but I believe I would break what ever tool I tried to use. It has roots at the surface.

Jacob, I don't have problems with White Pines or near My Canadian Hemlocks except the deep shade under them. The roots are shallow and the hosta get under them. Maple are quite a different story. I have an Elegans that I planted right next to one before I knew any better and it does very well. It's very tough for others. The root slayer works well but it can't cut through larger diameter roots. I use a 'Digging Pole' which is a steel pole about 7 feet long with a flat blade on one end and a point on the other (Lowes here). Almost 8-9 pounds (I guess) that can chop through some fairly big roots somewhat 'easily'. It is great for digging in real rocky soil. Under the loam area my soil is rocky and sandy which may help the roots get deep. The combination of a soil with clay and tree roots would be a far tougher environment. It has to be something like that that would make it tougher near trees. Best theory I can think of anyway.

- Jon

I have snuck one maybe two eyes in lots of places that are impossible to dig in and where they may have huge competition for water. Given time the hosta roots find their way...and thrive.