The no-fuss, hardy hibiscus
Published 8:57 am Tuesday, August 26, 2008
By Staff
My great-grandmother Ada loved her hibiscus.
Since I was only 2 when she passed away, I, of course, never got to meet her.
But she had a great passion for her family, cooking and her flowers.
I'm told she also had a lot of rose-of-Sharon growing about in her garden, too.
Today I have one of hers in my garden. I treasure it.
The rose-of-Sharon (H. syriacus) is a complete horse of a different color, though, not to be mistaken with the larger-flowered hibiscus (H. moscheutos).
Right now, the hardy hibiscus are singing their own praises.
How they do boast, flaunt and parade their wares.
It's their time to shine in the garden.
Every garden must have at least one clump of hibiscus, which leads to one more and one…
A bit of trivia and "secrets" about hibiscus:
Are hardy perennials of a "shrub-like" structure. Thick, erect stalks rise from a woody crown, with deep, spreading roots. In our zone 5 – or is it 6 now? – all stems or stalks and foliage will die back completely to the ground.
Exotic, tropical-looking flowers are limited to white, pink and red. Bloom textures ranging from quilted to smooth, colors from solid, veined, striped and some with contrasting throats.
Foliage can be very colorful and dramatic, coming in a coppery-red, bronze-red, burgundy and even a purple. Some foliage can be triangle-shaped or deeply cut and spidery, while others still resemble that of a maple.
Covered in flowers and buds, want to know why the hibiscus has so many buds? Because each blossoms, lasting only a day.
Blooming time can be as long as three to six weeks.
Propagate by taking tip or stem cuttings in July. They will root pretty quickly. Or, sow seeds (oak the seeds for one hour in hot water or chip seed coat), which will germinate in only one two weeks. And the seedlings may flower their first year. But I wouldn't expect any flowers until the following year. May self-seed, which means plenty of volunteers to dig and share.
Dividing – I like to dig the clump in fall after flowering because, being that they are slow risers in th spring, patience is the key here, my friends, and before I forget, you might want to mark where they are planted so that you don't dig or plant something in the "empty spot" in the spring.
I must also warn you that when diggnig and dividing the root clumps, they can be HUGE.
A knife might not get the job done.
It's better to use a pointed keyhole hand saw, as the woody crown and roots can be very tough.
Here's a good "secret." Some hibiscus can be very tall, like the old-fashioned ones, being six to eight to even 12 feet tall (Red Flyers, Turn of the Century to name a couple). To control their height and make them shorter and more bushy, here's what to do. Nip the plant stems or stalks back by one third to one half in June. This will also delay the start of flowering by a couple weeks, and this will also do away with the need for staking.
And, before I forget, I wanted to talk about the woody seed capsules. And who knows, the "deposits" from the birds just might start a few "volunteers" to surprise someone in their garden.
I have the variety called Pink Elephant, four to five feet tall, 12-inch flower, a ruffled Pepto Bismol pink, with dark red eye. Also, the Disco Belle mix.
"Patience is a flower that grows not in everyone's garden."