Registered by the British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society (BHHS) on behalf of hybridizer, Eric Smith, this cultivar is a cross between H. 'Fortunei Aurea' × H. 'Sieboldiana'. The giant size (32 inches high by 53 inches wide) plant has slightly corrugated foliage with thick texture. Its flowers are funnel shaped, near white and open from mid-June into July occasionally followed by viable seeds.

The Hosta Handbook by Mark Zilis (2000), says that this plant falls into a group in the Hosta sieboldiana species and consists of "registered seedlings that have either 'Elegans' or an 'Elegans' sport (e.g. 'Frances Williams', 'Northern Halo', etc.) as a parent. All of these have blue-green foliage and represent the range of 'Elegans' types that can be found."

The New Encyclopedia of Hostas by Diana Grenfell (2009) states: "Slow to establish but eventually forms a magnificent specimen. Can be grown in a container if profusely watered."

"Plant is a stately cultivar showing the general aspects of H. 'Fortunei' but attaining the size of H. 'Sieboldiana'."

An article by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (1996 Vol. 27 No. 1) states that people close to English hybridizer, Eric Smith,  say that he meant to name H. 'Snowden' after the Snowdon mountain in Wales. There are no plans to change the name, however."