Wide Brim hosta plant care and growing guide

Wide brim is a popular variegated green and yellow variety of hosta. These plants aren’t only a beautiful addition to your plant collection; they’re also low-maintenance and easy to grow.

Wide brim hosta is a popular medium-sized variegated hosta cultivar. As the name suggests, the dark green-blue leaves have a thick yellow outer “brim” edge. Wide brim hostas grow to be about 3-4 feet wide and 18 inches tall. The funnel-shaped lavender flowers have dark violet stripes. Growing in zones 3-9, this variety has its best color contrast when the foliage receives a bit of direct sunlight in the morning.

Read on to find out more about caring for wide brim hostas and where to get them.

The care guide of Wide Brim hosta

Wide brim is a popular hosta variety that’s been a garden favorite for over 50 years. Bred from ‘Bold One’ and ‘Bold Ribbons’, this cultivar is best known for its thick outer leaf margin. The streaked edges of the leaves unfurl and chartreuse yellow and mellow to a creamy white throughout the summer.

Water

Wide brim hostas, or plantain lilies, need frequent watering sessions. You’ll have to water them once a week, and if the weather is too hot, you may need to increase that to two times per week.

Their soil should never dry out, so you may want to fix the watering schedule around that. It should stay moist all through the seasons.

Soil

All hostas need fertile soil, and wide brim hostas are no different. They need fertile, well-draining soil to thrive. If the soil is compacted or not well-draining, the water will keep accumulating inside, eventually leading to root rot. With frequent watering, that’s the last thing you need.

The soil shouldn’t be dry or soggy; it should be reasonably moist on most days. 

When the weather gets hot, you’ll want to check the first two inches of the soil using your finger. If it’s completely dry, that’s your cue to water the plant.

The soil’s pH should be between 5.5 and 7.5, not higher or lower.

Sunlight

Wide brim hostas originally live in Japan, particularly in mountain forests, where they don’t get a lot of sunlight.

That’s why they thrive in partial shade, and being exposed to the sun can actually harm them. 

To reach the perfect balance, you’ll want to keep the wide brim hosta in the full sunlight for a few hours in the early morning so the leaves bring out their coloration.

Then, move the plant to a partially shady area. You can also keep it in the full shade, but preferably not for long. The plant is tolerant of shade, but if it stays in it long enough, it may stop growing.

Temperature

Wide brim hostas thrive in cool to warm weather. They don’t do well in hot temperatures. If you want them to grow healthily, you may want to keep the ambient temperature between 60 and 75 degrees F. 

They may still grow in slightly higher or lower temperatures, but they don’t react nicely to extreme changes. When the weather gets too cold, it’s better to provide some sort of protection outdoors.

When the weather is too hot for them, their leaves may start curling. So, make sure to keep them away from warm drafts.

Propagation

To propagate wide brim hostas, you’ll have to do it by division because they’re perennials. It’s the best way to regrow them because of their clumping growth style.

Here’s how to propagate these hostas: 

1. Using a garden fork, lift the hosta, working from its center to prevent tearing the roots
2. Lift it gently, then shake it off to remove the stuck soil bits
3. Start pulling the plant apart gently; you’ll find it dividing into smaller clumps
4. If the clumps aren’t pulling apart, you can try removing them with a sharper tool, like a knife
5. Replant the clumps and give them plenty of water

Drought tolerance

Wide brim hostas are hardy plants, so they can handle tough weather conditions for a while. They’re drought-tolerant, but not for long. Likewise, they can grow in wet conditions, but their soil should ideally be only moist.

They’re also tolerant of both shade and full sunlight, but shade suits them better.

Generally, these plants are the opposite of delicate. They can survive plenty of situations, so you don’t have to worry about them.

Where can you get Wide Brim hosta?

You can get wide brim hosta at plenty of online sources. To name a few, you can get it at Amazon or Naturehills. You can also get them at any local store, but make sure the leaves don’t show any signs of stress or damage.