AR Gardener Magazine Articles
Hibiscus
Few plants are as showy as hibiscus. Whether it is the tropical
flowering ones, or the tough perennial hibiscus, their flowers are outstanding
in the garden. If you don’t want to mess with moving the plant indoors and out,
then look for the perennial form, Hibiscus moscheutos or Hibiscus coccineus.
All hibiscus plants are in the malvaceae family, and are related
to cotton and okra. Hibiscus moscheutos, commonly called rose mallow, hardy
hibiscus, swamp rose or even wild cotton, It won’t begin growing in the spring,
until the soil has sufficiently warmed up. But with warm soil, you get rapid new
growth.
The perennial hibiscus prefers a moist sunny location to thrive.
Eventual height of the plant will vary by variety, some growing no taller than
two to three feet, while others can grow as tall as eight to ten feet. Although
the plant does die back to the ground every winter following a killing frost,
the stems do get quite woody during the season.
Hardy hibiscus colors come in a range of pinks, reds and whites. Flower size
can be as large as a dinner plate
This story first appeared in the
AR
Gardener Magazine.
By: Janet Carson
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