Mid-Atlantic Gardening: June blooms, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
wind----

Unfortunately--My KK Hibiscus does NOT produce any seeds. It must be a serious hybrid!
It makes the seed pods--like any Hibiscus would--but then they all turn yellow and drop off.
I tried rooting a cutting in water last year--but nothing happened.....

Your best bet is to find someone that has the Kopper King Hibiscus all rooted and available.
I bought mine at HD about 5 yrs. ago. Seems that year it was all the "must have".....It was new--and all the HD's carried it. There were so many all over the place that no one bought them--as they were "NEW".....All th reddish/coppery leaves were strange--and it may have seemed as a "fad".....

As Fall came--they were still sitting around--piles of them--at all the HD's--and then they got marked down 50% off.
I bought 2 of them. Planted one on the West side of my house---and one on the east side of my house....
The second year--the one on the West side got this crazy mosaic virus and succumbed and never grew the next year. The one on the East side--AM sun--thrived and grew and grew in this tiny bed against my house into an amazing plant. Click on my name and go to the very bottom-and you will see me standing by the blooms.
I am 5'8" tall---and these were the second blooms after I cut it back after the first flush.

In October of 2008, I decided to dig it up, as it was growing in a bed only 2' deep, and move it to more spacious quarters to this small, round bed on my front lawn. That was a VERY careful act--as Hibiscus have far-spreading, fleshy roots. Much like Peonies.
I did the best I could--and was SOOO pleased to see it bloom so well the following year (the picture I posted above). This year (NOW)--it is growing like crazy--and I cannot wait to see the blooms all over it. It is covered in buds! In another year--I know it will be massive! A sure "traffic-stopper" as people walk by.

You could go to PF's and search for it and see if anyone has it for sale. Make sure they are growing plants, NOT cuttings! That did not work for me----Not saying it cannot--maybe one just needs to know HOW!
I have NOT seen it anywhere since that ONE year every HD had it.....It is GONE!!!!! Weird!!!!!

The red Epi also does not make seeds. I have cuttings rooted (they root so easily!) and will be glad to send you some for postage. The name of this game is PATIENCE! May be a few years before they bloom.

I believe the "time" is when they have become root-bound in their pots. My Epi was in a 5" pot for 4 years--and then it exploded with blooms......Then--the following Winter (inside) it withered and got all dessicated--and almost died. I carried on a few of the not-so-dead cuttings....They seem to be doing OK.
Basically--this year--i am starting all over......I planted the surviving cuttings in a 10" HB and am hoping to see the amazing blooming once again....It will take a few years b/f it blooms....I KNOW that!!!!

Here's a few more blooms of the Red Epi.....