Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus
moscheutos) is also known as the Swamp Rose Mallow and it loves our
hot, humid summer. This perennial hibiscus is winter-hardy to zone 4, while the
tropical hibiscus is an annual for those of us in the Mid-Atlantic.
This dramatic flower of mid-summer into early fall is a
real stunner in the back of flower borders or as a container plant. The individual
flowers can reach 12-inches in diameter and are often referred to as “the size
of a dinner plate.” Hardy hibiscus cultivars come in white, red, pink, and
bicolor combinations.
For best flowering, plant hardy hibiscus in full sun (at
least 6 hours). Give it some room, as the plant can grow up to five feet wide
and high in one season.
It likes moist soil, so keep it well-watered and mulch it
with bark chips.
Dig in a bit of compost each spring and that is all the
fertilizer they require.
The hardy hibiscus is susceptible to insect problems such
as aphids and Japanese beetles. The best way to prevent this is to keep the
plants healthy and never let them get drought-stressed.
To prevent it from self-seeding everywhere in your
garden, regularly deadhead the spent flowers and cut the whole plant back after
a hard frost.
Note that any of their seedlings may not bloom the same
color as their parents. If you want more of the same plant, you can propagate
them easily from stem cuttings in spring before they start flowering.
A few popular hardy hibiscus selections to try are ‘Lord
Baltimore’, ‘Peppermint Flare’, and ‘Kopper King’.
Hardy Hibiscus: You Can Grow That!
The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.
It was shot and edited by intern Alexandra Marquez.
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It's erroneous to call these plants H. moscheutos. The cultivars are hybrids involving that species but also several others. The pure species is very rarely sold except by nurseries that specialize in species and/or native plants.
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