Hibiscus: Cold Hardy Hibiscus coccineus (Texas Red Star)?, 1 by Michael_Ronayne

Michael_Ronayne wrote:
In the fall of 2009 I purchased two Hibiscus coccineus (AKA Texas Red Star) with a cultivar name of “Blaze Starr” from a north New Jersey garden center at a yearend closeout sale. According to the plant tag (see attached photograph). H. coccineus “Blaze Starr” is hardy to Zone 4. The following grower is the source of Hibiscus coccineus “Blaze Starr”:

Cavano’s Perennials
6845 Sunshine Avenue
Kingsville, Maryland 21087
Phone: 410-592-8077
Fax: 410-592-9510
http://www.cavanos.com/sol_home.php#Native

Under less than ideal conditions, I planted one the of the “Blaze Starr” Hibiscus in my Zone 6B garden and the second in my daughter’s garden 10 miles to the north. Both plants made it through the 2009-2010 winter and flowered during the summer of 2010. My “Blaze Starr” was more prolific reaching a height of almost 7 feet, with three stalks, and producing many flowers from which I was able to collect seed pods, several of which are hybrids with other Hibiscus species in which I am interested. I was also able to clone the “Blaze Starr” from cuttings without any difficulty. The “Blaze Starr” is unremarkable and looks exactly like a normal red H. coccineus.

I also have both red and white H. coccineus seedlings, from an online seed seller, which did not flower this year. I will have to see if they make it through the coming winter and flower in 2011.

I know the “Blaze Starr” can survive in Zone 6B. Is anyone else growing “Blaze Starr” or other H. coccineus outside normal range of this species and if you are, can you share that information with the DG membership? I am very interested in any red or white H. coccineus which can survive in Zone 6B or colder. If the grower’s information is correct “Blaze Starr” should be able to survive into Canada.

Mike