Hi,
I'm not sure what you googled, but googling Hibiscus moscheutos which is what you are talking about brings up sites saying it is a perennial : ) And it is a very pretty one! Though they look very shrub like, they act like a perennial and not a shrub being they die completely back in winter. Depending on the variety they grow from a few feet to probably about 6' tall. The flowers also vary in size and color depending on the cultivar. Some cultivars have huge flowers! One important thing to note, they are very late to emerge in the spring.
Remy

Hibiscus moschetos is a perennial.

In your zone, you'll need to use plenty of mulch in the winter. And, know that they are very slow to emerge in the spring, waiting until the ground is thoroughly warm. This means you need to mark their spot carefully so you don't disturb them and then pull the mulch away from them in the springtime, replacing it when hot weather moves in. They are easy showstoppers. Kopper King is one of my favorites with its purple foliage.

'Plum Crazy' and 'Fireball' are two of my favorites...

Leave the dried stems until spring and you won't forget where they are planted....

Also, once they do begin to emerge, pinch the terminal buds off (when the stems are about a foot tall) for a thicker plant with tons more blooms. You can cut the stems back to about a foot at this time, too.

Excess mulch in the winter is completely unnecessary...mine survive the winters just fine with no mulch at all. Extra mulch will only delay their emergence in the spring...

Mulching in the summer will be beneficial as they prefer a moist environment...mine do not get tons, though. They acclimate to just about any environment...wouldn't do heavy clay, though...

Here is one of mine (in the background) that I grew from a seed:

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And here is a pic of my 'Plum Crazy':

{{gwi:242768}}

I've never mulched the one I planted at my folks' placed either. Never a problem, though they do get a lot of snow cover generally so that could definitely have an impact. If you have one up against the house, IME, they "wake up" MUCH sooner than if planted in the middle of the yard. So that warm ground does make a difference.

'Lord Baltimore' -- a nice red -- has blooms about the size of a dinner plate.

I'm REALLY bummed. Last summer, I actually succeeded in rooting 2 cuttings of Lord Baltimore. But as they didn't really take until near the end of the summer, and because I didn't have a chance to plant them in the ground until fall I planted them in their pots at the folks' place (I'm an apt dweller). Figured I'd decide this summer where to put them. Well neither made it. :( (And a grower I spoke to said they found LB to be a tough to root in the first place. *sigh*

Do most of you grow them in full sun? I have seen the requirements from full sun to part shade. How much sun do they really need? Also the soil requirements are moist. So it is best to choose a spot that does not dry out terribly but what else would you add to keep it moist other than watering constantly?

Can anyone describe what is meant by "terminal bud"? My hibiscus is under 12 inches, or it was as of this morning, and I'm interested in trying this technique.

Thanks!

Can anyone describe what is meant by "terminal bud"? My hibiscus is under 12 inches, or it was as of this morning, and I'm interested in trying this technique.

Thanks!

I agree that no mulch is needed. As someone above noted, don't cut them back until spring and then it's easy to remember where they are. Mine are all seed-grown. They didn't show up this year until early this month - it was a very cold spring here. I don't worry about the moist soil requirement - they do just fine in my front bed which is on the dry side. I've never done the pinch/cut back thing but I intend to try it one of these years :-) They are a must-have for the late summer garden!

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piehart,

"Terminal bud" is the tipmost growth of a branch.

To help certain plants become more bushy, you remove the terminal bud and the one or two sets of leaves (along with the stem) beneath that. This practice is called "pinching."

The effect is that at least two branches will then develop wherever you "pinch."

Thanks for the good description, Jean. I've done that with monarda and sedum and other plants, but I guess I hesitate to do that to hibiscus because the large leaves make it look so much like a tree and you'd never top a tree! I just have to get over it, I guess! Maybe I could just skip some deer spray and let the deer do it for me? Only kidding, of course.

Thanks, Jean001...just popped back in here and discovered further explanation was needed. :o)

These plants tend to get "leggy" and in need of staking unless they get "pinched"...it does make them MUCH fuller, and they will be more so the next year, as well.

I have had hardy hibiscus not make it thru winter - it was the first year and they were planted in late summer. All my established ones return.

It can be in partial shade - I think I have read it has bigger and more blooms if in full sun.

Also it reseeds itself like crazy. I have dozens of new small plants each year.

When is the best time to plant them? Can you buy them at a local nursery or do you have to mail order typically?

I planted 2 hibiscus plants (bought at the local nursery) in the spring. One lived and one died...go figure. Fortunately, the one that lived is a beauty (now about 4 years old). She grows about 5 feet tall, with flowers at least 6 inches in diameter! She likes to be watered and gets about 7 hours of sun each day.

If anyone is still watching this thread, do you have suggestions on staking. My plum crazy are in their third year and started flowering last week. The stems are extraordinarily have (plants are about 5 feet).

I have a stake at the back with plant tie, but it seems to be laying on the "rope" and the plant just doesn't look right.

meant to say they are heavy, not have.

Jon, essentially, the stems of the hibiscus are really strong, but sometimes after a heavy rain/wind storm or when in bloom, some of the tallest shoots do need staking. I use thin green garden stakes. I stake each shoot individually, pushing the stake into the ground as close to the shoot as possible, then loosely tying with a soft twine. You can't see the stakes because the shoots are so close together, as you can see in the pic.

{{gwi:242771}}

I love hardy hibiscus. I have Lord Baltimore. I have no need for staking, mulch, or any fussing whatsoever, and mine grows fine in heavy clay.

The only thing is that the japanese beetles like to eat it. But by the time it blooms, the beetles are gone for the year and fresh foliage has disguised the chewed leaves. It's 5' high and wide, and gets maybe 5-6 hours of sun a day.

The long, slender, pale stalks are beautiful in the winter, so I leave them up. I was even thinking about hanging small ornaments on them last Christmas, they were so pretty. Very tall and sculptural, especially with snow on them.

Redsox,

I have grown this type of hibiscus in zone 5 with no problem other than that eventually grew so large it needed a trellis. :) You won't have to mulch it. Lord Baltimore is great, dinner plate sized blooms. It dies back to the ground over winter. Just cut the dead stalks to the ground and in early summer it will grow right back up for you--no problem.

J

I've never had to stake any of mine.

Mine had stalks that would flop during bloom and fall into the lawn. Most were upright, but not all.

Seven years ago I bought 3 hardy Hibiscus. I have babied them for all seven winters. It is definitely worth it. 2 years ago I lost one and replaced it with Plum Crazy. I cut the stalks down to 4 inches after a hard freeze and mulch with 2 bales of straw. In the spring I wait until June 5th to remove the mulch. Within a day or 2 the shoots start. I fertilize when I uncover with a 10-10-10 and make sure they get plenty of water. They grow approximately 1 inch per day. This morning the staocks were 5 feet tall and there were approximately 20 -25 stocks per plant. Last year I had about 15 -20 blossums per stock. They are a great plant for the garden.

Where do you find these? They sound great. Are they easy to grow from seed? I have no good nurseries nearby.

I've never had to stake a hibiscus either... maybe because our growing season is so much shorter than other parts of the country, they don't have time to get gangly?

It has to do with the amount of sunlight they get, and soil quality and water. Although they do fine in partial shade situations, they get leggier. I grow mine in full sun, for the most part, do not use supplemental watering and never feed them if they are in the ground. They are immense, flower heavily and do not sag.

Hibiscus moscheutos grows wild in roadside ditches and low areas in Kentucky. It should be rock-hardy anywhere in the state, no mulching necessary (the possible exception maybe being if you put in very small plants in fall).

They are Japanese beetle magnets here, which has the potential to spoil the show if the bugs are in heavy supply (I see some untouched clumps, so location is important). A pyrethrin-type spray will kill JBs and keep them away for a few days at a time.

There are other hardy hibiscus species, some surprisingly so given their native range. I have a white-flowered one in a front bed (raised from seed taken from a plant I had in Texas). It's been returning every year since about 2002. The comment about not needing perpetually moist soil is correct, but they'll be happier with an abundant moisture supply.

At least one of our local big box stores sells lots of hardy hibiscus in pots, discounted after the blooming season.

I don't stake either because I pinch multiple times, which results in wider, shorter, sturdier bushes and a plethora of blooms. I starting pinching when the shoots are about two inches high and pinch a couple more times through mid June or so.

Pinching also obviously delays flowering, and fortunately the Japanese beetles peak before the hibiscus start flowering - problem solved.

Here is my Dinner Plate! last year, right now it is about 6 ft tall and 5 ft wide. Has not flowered yet but is ready to. Gets sun from morning till 6pm. I cut in the fall and again in the spring.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:242764}}

Gorgeous!

I bought Hibiscus Pinot Grigio at the end of July, went on vacation, and when I returned, saw all of these new posts on this thread. Also we were vacationing in Gatlinburg TN and I saw plantings with deep red hibiscus. They were not the large dinner plate variety like mine, but really attractive, great color.

I have not planted mine yet....b/c I knew we were going away, didn't want to leave it newly planted with no water so I put it in the shade in the pot. It still suffered a bit but looks okay.

Thanks for all the info everyone. I just collected seeds the other day. I went to an outdoor mall where they had some really pretty ones - deep pink to pale pink. I'm so happy to hear I can grow them from the seeds.

Mine have buds but no bloom yet, but I usually pinch a few times to get bushier plants, which obviously delays blooming. Worth the wait, though! I was at the nursery yesterday and saw so many beautiful hibiscus!! They are just glorius when grown well, one of my favorite plants :0)

My Kopper King is in full sun, next to the driveway and gets no extra water. Next year I will try the pinching back mentioned here to get more blooms, but I have had no need to stake.