Hardy Hibiscus
It is hard to beat the beautiful mid summer bloom of the perennial hardy hibiscus. The flowers can be anywhere from 4 to 12" in diameter. Often called rose mallow, the hardy hibiscus blooms in mid summer and continues blooming until mid September. They are relatively easy to grow, and once established will delight you year after year with their huge showy blooms. Colors range from white to deep reds, purples and pinks, as well as a new variety of yellow. Foliage colors also appear in many shades of green as well as copper and burgundy.
Hardy hibiscus need a sunny location and moist well drained soil to be their best. They can be planted from May to as late as Labor Day, giving them plenty of time to get rooted in before winter. Although they have a woody stem, they may die back to the ground during the winter. They frequently don't reappear in spring until mid to late May, but grow quickly once they appear. Give these plants lots of room to grow and expand, as some can reach up to 6 feet tall and 3-4 feet in diameter. A slow release general purpose fertilizer applied as soon as they begin to appear in mid spring will assure a strong, healthy, showy specimen all summer. Watering is usually not a problem unless two or three weeks goes by without rain, in which case you will have to water them as you would any woody plant. This is, of course, after they are established. New plantings will need more frequent watering until they are well rooted in.
For an easy, showy perennial to have in your landscape, Calico recommends you find some space in your flower bed for one or two of these magnificent specimens!
By: Gayla Parker
Gardening Expert at A.J. Rahn Greenhouses
Hardy hibiscus need a sunny location and moist well drained soil to be their best. They can be planted from May to as late as Labor Day, giving them plenty of time to get rooted in before winter. Although they have a woody stem, they may die back to the ground during the winter. They frequently don't reappear in spring until mid to late May, but grow quickly once they appear. Give these plants lots of room to grow and expand, as some can reach up to 6 feet tall and 3-4 feet in diameter. A slow release general purpose fertilizer applied as soon as they begin to appear in mid spring will assure a strong, healthy, showy specimen all summer. Watering is usually not a problem unless two or three weeks goes by without rain, in which case you will have to water them as you would any woody plant. This is, of course, after they are established. New plantings will need more frequent watering until they are well rooted in.
For an easy, showy perennial to have in your landscape, Calico recommends you find some space in your flower bed for one or two of these magnificent specimens!
By: Gayla Parker
Gardening Expert at A.J. Rahn Greenhouses
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