Growing Hardy Hibiscus
If it seems like we talk a lot about hibiscus, it’s because we do! Not long ago, we talked about Rose of Sharon, which is a species of hibiscus as well (Hibiscus syriacus). Rose of Sharon, or Althea, is a woody shrub or small tree. Today, we want to talk about perennial hibiscus, also called hardy hibiscus or rose mallow, which is Hibiscus moscheutos. Like many other perennials, these die back to the ground after a killing frost and come back from the root system the following year. There have been many improvements to this North American native plant; improved cultivars of a native are called nativars.
It can be hard to find hardy hibiscus exactly when you want them, which for us, seems to be April. They don’t come out of dormancy that early, or if they do, they aren’t strong plants at that time. They are really going strong by the end May and at this time, end of June, they are fully budded and starting to bloom, both in gardens around town and in containers here at Good Earth.
There is a lot to love about this plant! Each cultivar is unique; some have purple leaves, some varieties feature variegated leaves and all have huge, beautiful blooms. The individual blooms don’t last long but there are a good amount of blooms at leach branch end. Mature size also varies by cultivar. Planting these in groupings as a backdrop to other perennials is a good option, as is placing them in focal points here and there in landscapes.
‘Summer Carnival’ is shown above; it features the variegated leaves we mentioned AND dark magenta color blooms that can be as large at 7 inches across. The blooms show up particularly well against the variegated foliage.
The one featured at the top of this blog post is ‘Ballet Slippers’ feature white blooms with ruffled, pale pink edges and a bright red center. It’s delicate looking but strong and hardy in growth! It’s known for a long bloom season. Blooms are at the end of branches, and this variety is known for it’s good auxiliary branches, which means a longer bloom season (late summer through early fall).
Another favorite is ‘Midnight Marvel’; which has eye-catching true red blooms, showing off against deep purple foliage. The leaves are maple shaped, giving it another feature to love!
Inventory changes frequently, but as of the time of writing this article, we have all of these in stock (June 2025). They are going fast though so come in soon!