According to The Hostapedia by Mark Zilis (2009), "The name 'Gigantea' most often points to the cultivar 'Fortunei Gigantea', but sometimes refers to H. ' Gigantea'. The latter has been renamed 'Nesmith Giant'.

This cultivar is a cross of H. 'Sieboldiana' x H. 'Elegans' that was registered by Peter Ruh of Ohio on behalf of the originator, Elizabeth Nesmith of Massachusetts. It forms a large size, 25 inch high mound that spreads 56 inches in width with slightly wavy, thick substanced leaves that are deeply lobed at the base. The near white flowers bloom starting in mid-June.

Zilis comments, "...listed as "Hosta sieboldiana var. Gigantea" by Elizabeth Nesmith in her Fairmount Gardens catalog in 1964. When that name proved to be invalid, Peter Ruh renamed it 'Nesmith's Giant' and registered it for her."