Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Humpback Whale Hosta: A 7-Foot Blue Dome for Deep Shade
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Humpback Whale hosta is well named. It surfaces each spring as a massive, rounded dome of big, heart-shaped blue-green leaves, about 3 feet tall and up to 7 feet wide. The leaves are thick and deeply puckered like seersucker, with a powdery blue cast that is strongest in spring. In early summer, blue-green stems lift near-white bells to about 4 feet.
It is a shade plant, so it will not share ground with lavender. It is the bold anchor for the shaded part of a garden where lavender holds the sunny side.
Humpback Whale at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hosta 'Humpback Whale' |
| Foliage | Very large, puckered, blue-green, bluest in spring |
| Flowers | Near-white bells on blue-green stems about 4 feet tall |
| Size | About 36 inches tall, up to 7 feet wide |
| Bloom | Mid to late June |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3-9 |
| Light | Part shade to full shade |
| Best uses | Specimen, screening, woodland and shade gardens |
One plant, one view
A giant hosta works best as a single statement. Put Humpback Whale at a bend in a shady path, at the back of a woodland bed, or anywhere you want one plant to hold the eye. In a garden built around lavender, it gives the shaded half the same strong, simple focal point that a big lavender hedge gives the sunny half. Its cool blue leaves even pick up the gray-blue tone of lavender foliage from across the yard.
It can also act as a soft summer screen in shade. Map the spacing in the Companion Plant Planner; 7 feet is easy to underestimate.
Planting and care
- Light: shade, especially in the afternoon. The blue is a waxy coating that heat and strong sun wear away.
- Soil: rich and humus-heavy, evenly moist but well drained.
- Water: deeply during dry spells, especially in the first summer while the clump builds.
- Slugs: the thick leaves resist slug damage better than most hostas.
- Fall: cut the big leaves down after a hard frost, and keep heavy, wet mulch off the crown.
From plug to whale
It grows quickly once established, but a plug still needs a few seasons to become a dome. Plant it at its final spacing and fill around it with ferns or shade annuals while it grows. Divide crowded clumps in early spring as the shoots appear, if you ever need to; most gardeners just let it get bigger.
Tray options
Humpback Whale is offered as a 72-cell plug tray and a 20-cell plug tray. Growers potting up stock often choose the 72-cell tray, while the 20-cell tray gives larger plugs ready for the ground. See each product page for current availability, or the Wholesale Hub for bigger orders.
Frequently asked questions
Will deer eat it?
Deer find hostas tempting. In deer country, plant it close to the house or inside a fenced area.
Is it safe around dogs and cats?
Hosta foliage is listed as toxic to dogs and cats, so keep chewers away from it.
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