Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Hibiscus Hedge Question , 1 by TexasPuddyPrint

TexasPuddyPrint wrote:
Hibiscus are quite pretty - do you keep them pruned down to form a dense hedge? How about the blooms? I have several in my front flower bed that I rarely water. The water they get is from the roof and gutter run off. If our summer gets too hot and dry then I do water that flower bed :o)

When I bought my house I planted Firebush (hamelia patens) on both sides of my driveway. It gets to about 8 feet tall then I prune it back to about 18 inches in late winter or after a freeze. It grows back quickly each year. Since our winters aren't too bad the foliage remains all year around. It provides almost too good of a privacy wall :o) One of my neighbor's says he can't see my driveway and front yard which works great for me!!!

Bees and hummingbirds love it as well as a variety of butterflies which is a positive. Guess if I would have really thought it out I would have planted a hedge made of duranta bushes instead. The purple blooms on those really do attract many more butterflies.

This is the firebush hedge on the west side of my driveway from back in August of 2007. It's only about six feet tall in this photo but it does provide a good privacy barrier and wind break.

Lots of business and houses around town use it for hedges but they keep it pruned down to a reasonable size and shape - so unlike me!!!

~ Cat