Some have an affinity for the tiny sweetness of the diminutive, but I (and my kin) seem to obsess over the monstrous, huge, and gross enormity of the gigantea plants.
While ‘gigantea’ generally means giant, as in really large, it is sometimes used in relation to the regular (so perhaps it is not so large when the regular version is particularly small)—but often gigantea really does mean huge. And that is where things get fun.
I have grown a few gigantea versions of plants. The most notable is Miscanthus gigantea. Normal Miscanthis is perhaps only 6 feet tall – but the gigantea variety is easily two times as much. The stems are less like grass and more like lightweight bamboo. In my garden Like the Colocasia gigantea in the image above and my own homegrown Miscanthus gigantea – which I swear you can watch grow. I split the giant miscanthus that I got a few years ago into 5 plants this year. We are all so excited to feel small amongst these towering plumes in the garden.
What’s your taste in extreme sizing? Do you prefer the tiny or the tremendous? Feel free to share your favorite.