Sorry rouge. Deleted my comments as was talking about Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon), not hardy hibiscuses.

Yes, I stake mine as well. I forgot to do it with my largest one and now it's too late. But I have stakes on my Plum Crazy. I don't like the branches growing on the ground. I've read that you can/should pinch them back when they start to grow to help create bushier plant rather than taller. But I've yet to try that.

P.S. Yours is magnificent and looks even better with the staking!

I've read that you can/should pinch them back when they start to grow to help create bushier plant rather than taller.

Ah, that is what I think I am hoping to see. (I say "think" because I will still be nervous cutting it back.)

Thanks popmama for this info. (Any chance you could post a picture or two of your "Plum Crazy"?)

I have had only 3 hhs and have not had to stake. But they do not get too tall (maybe 4-5') like yours (6').

The Plum Crazy isn't blooming yet, but I will post a pic of the foliage tomorrow. It has a nice combination of green/purple foliage.

I've never pinched mine either. But I keep thinking I should!

I am cracking up Luis_pr at the comment "not get too tall" and then you say 6 feet! Six feet! That's pretty tall. :-)

Mine never seem to completely be able to stand on their own - i definitely have to give them stakes

GORGEOUS hibiscus, Rouge!

I also pinch -- makes them bushier with more flowering points.

I sourced some native hibiscus (non-cultivar) last summer from a native plant nursery not too far from me, and didn't much in the way pinching this spring - I think I only got around to pinching one of them. Fortunately they're not floppy because the flowers aren't as large as the cultivars tend to me, and they're supported by other plants surrounding them, so pinching of these seems unnecessary.

No blooms yet? Where are you, popmama?? I assumed these guys would have bloomed everywhere by now.

Luis_pr, I'm in Zone5b in Colorado. My other hardies have bloomed. Just not this one. And what's weird is last year, I took that picture on August 1. Now it's more than a month late to bloom. All I know is that it really better hurry because pretty soon it will be Fall. I hope it blooms soon!

Man, that one hibiscus is waaay late for some reason. You need to move down here then. Today I noticed that my white hardy is opening another set of buds (second bloomage phase this year). "Tell" the hibiscus that it has until September 23rd and that today is the 8th!!! Hee, hee, hee. ;o))

Believe me, luis_pr, there are many days I wish I lived down there! But I did give that hibiscus a good talking to! We are still having hot days but our nights are starting to cool and the days are getting noticeably shorter. We definitely had a late Summer this year, but this is too much!

I don't stake mine. But believe you me, I need to buy some serious staking equipment over the fall clearout season and commit myself to some intense staking next season. Because I always say I am going to do it, then fool myself into thinking it's okay, then it's too late, and I get irritated. :(

Plum Crazy finally started blooming today. It's about time!

I have one too that's way behind the rest. Luna Red is just starting to open a few flowers. It's being seriously encroached upon by an expanding black-eyed susan - think it's impacting the hibiscus in more ways than just size.