Hibiscus - outdoors

[RubyTuesday49]

I live in Zone 6 - hot dry summers. I bought an outdoors hibiscus last year at the Farmer's Market, planted it and did actually have several flowers. This Spring, I cut back the old plant and waited and waited . . . . . and waited! Nothing! I was so disappointed! In June, I was cleaning up one of my flowerbeds and saw this 24" plant I didn't recognize and assumed it was some sneaky weed so I reached down and yanked it out! Then instantly I thought $#!% I think that might have been a hibiscus! I immediately plunked it back into the ground, watered it and apologized profusely! It looked pretty sad for a week but now I have these huge lovely burgundy pink flowers! (and lots more buds) I didn't realize that it wouldn't grow from the old stalk. I keep telling myself to think before you yank out a plant - but who listens to that voice in your head?

[countrychic]

Same here with my 2 perennial hibiscus I put in last fall. They looked really dead this spring. The little sticks were dried and broke off to under the soil level. A friend told me to wait, and be patient. I was on the verge of pulling them out, when I noticed some growth. And now they are tall and have lots of flowers. I'll have to remember where they are for next spring, so I don't dig them up by mistake, lol

[RubyTuesday49]

Yes you're right there! I have put a marker for the perennial hibiscus now too! The instant I had ripped it out of the ground, I realized that it was the hibiscus!!!! Luckily when I shoved it back into the ground - it survived!! It's only about 28" tall but loaded with buds!

[Peggy2296]

Glad your hibiscus survived! I think we all know the feeling of yanking something up, looking at it dangling from our fist and thinking, "Uh oh....".

[orchidguy]

It has been a stellar year for the hibiscus here (including H. coccineus, moscheutos, syriacus, and even the sinsyriacus) as all are in their full flush of bloom now, but as others have noticed, are all late starters.

I have noticed that they all prefer drier feet during the winter and into spring, and I only start watering them when the new leaves begin to unfurl.

Because of the drought (almost 2 months with no rain) the rose buds dried up and fell off, and are only now going through their main flush of blooms.....quite the sight

[RubyTuesday49]

Hey Orchid Guy! Do your pernnial Hibiscus grow "from scratch" every year? I've never had them before and was surprised that I just had a dead stick of a bush this Spring. Also - how tall does your Hibiscus get? Mine is only about 28" - my Sis-in-law lives on Vancouver Island and hers is about 5 ft - gets flower buds but then they fall off!! I'm trying to convince her that she should give me a little clump from hers - so we can see if it would like living with me better!! LOL She has agreed to do this next June - so I may have to remind her!! LOL

[orchidguy]

The hibiscus syriacus (bluebird, blue satin, admiral dewey,agnes....) are woody shrubs and are between 5'-6'

The Hibiscus moscheutos (disco belle, copper king, snow queen, clown,...) loses about half it's growth during the winter months, and get about 3'-4' tall at bloom time, but it takes a few years for them to establish. When first planted, they died down almost to the ground during the winter. I figured it was the soft "watery" new growth that was killed during the cold months, so never used a chemical fertilizer on them, which I find has a tendency for fast, soft growth.

[RubyTuesday49]

I've never had one before - bought mine at the Farmer's market here and it didn't have a tag! ;-( I think it may be a Moscheuto. It was a shrub form with branches off but that part just ended up a dried up twig! and it started up from the ground this year (May ?) before I yanked it out when I discovered it and thought it was a weed in June! shoved it back in and Tah Dah! I don't use any fertilizer - except for compost! It really is great stuff!