Hosta 'Jolly Green Giant' – Towering Green Majesty

Hosta 'Jolly Green Giant' towers over the shade garden with its massive, upright mound of huge, jolly green leaves. Registered in 1986 by Armstrong-AHS, this giant cultivar lives up to its folkloric name.

Botanical Profile

Family:	Liliaceae (lil-ee-AY-see-ee)
Genus:	Hosta (HOSS-tuh)
Cultivar:	'Jolly Green Giant'
Hybridizer:	Armstrong-AHS
Registration Year:	1986

Giant Green Cheer

The leaves are enormous, broadly ovate, and a bright, cheerful medium green. The substance is heavy. The habit is strongly upright and vase-shaped, creating a towering presence. A mature clump can reach 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m) across and 3-4 feet (0.9-1.2 m) tall. The foliage forms a dense canopy. The name captures both the size and the bright green cheerfulness.

Landscape Landmark

'Jolly Green Giant' creates an instant landmark. Use it as a specimen, a screen, or a backdrop. It requires the standard giant hosta regimen: deep rich soil, consistent moisture, ample space, and time. The bright green color tolerates more sun than blue hostas if watered well.

Armstrong-AHS Collaboration

The 1986 registration by Armstrong with AHS involvement brought a giant green hosta with a memorable name to the market. 'Jolly Green Giant' helped popularize the concept of hostas as large-scale landscape plants.