A few questions about my "Lord Baltimore" Hibiscus

Hi there everyone,

I've just run into this amazing website today and decided this looked like a good place to put my roots down for my future in gardening.

This summer, my girlfriend and I went to an amazing botanical garden named Shangri'La in Orange, TX and was so inspired by the beauty that I have begun gardening almost as soon as we got back from the trip.

I now have an "incense" passion vine, purple coneflowers and a recent addition is my "Lord Baltimore" hibiscus. I realize that this was a late time in the season to buy a hibiscus, but have a few questions so that I can place myself inside of the relative "timeline" for this plant I've seen described around the internet.

The day I bought the hibiscus, there were still three flower buds coming along. There were also a few seedpods that had already turned brown and had barely opened, so I went ahead and harvested the seeds from them. Now there are still a few seedpods that are still greenish and obviously haven't made it completely through the process, but I am excited that I will have so many opportunities to try a few more in the spring next year.

I have a few questions about the near future of this hibiscus though:

Recently, the bottom two feet or so of the foliage has started to turn a bit yellow. I have watered it very well, especially considering the 91F weather we have been having, so I don't know that the problem lies there. Am I just nearing the very end of the growing cycle and this is the plant dying down for winter?

I am also considering bringing this hibiscus inside my house for the winter, but am worried because my girlfriend and I have a cat in the house. I can't seem to find a clear answer as to whether hibiscus (in general) are toxic to cats, and furthermore if the "Lord Baltimore" hibiscus variation is toxic either. Even the ASPCA's website doesn't seem to give a clear answer... Could someone here possibly give me a straight answer as to whether this would be a bad idea?

Thank you for any replies! I really appreciate any expertise as I am so new to gardening!

kamelonious


I'm unable to answer you question, however I wanted to welcome you to DG. This website has given me a wealth of information and a wealth of new friends. I'm sure one of these people will come along to answer your questions.

Sylvia

Your hibiscus is most likely just suffering from transplant shock--when you plant things during the heat of summer it can be a bit stressful. Just keep it watered, and if you can rig up a little shade for it that may help too.

The ASPCA website shows that Hibiscus syriacus (a different species than yours, but in the same genus so fairly closely related) is toxic to cats. http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/hibiscus.html So unless you find a reliable source saying that Lord Baltimore (a cultivar of Hibiscus moscheutos) is not toxic I would assume that it is poisonous as well. But the good news is that Lord Baltimore is a hardy hibiscus and does not need to be brought in for the winter, you can leave it planted in your garden year round. It'll die back over the winter, but will resprout next year (they can be a little slow to get going in the spring, so don't worry if it takes a little time to pop back up).

Fall is a fine time for planting your Hibiscus outdoors. When the weather cools a little, go ahead and plant it. LB is hardy in our zone. I have a neighbor whose LB comes back beautifully every year. Do you know what planting zone you're in?

As to the leaves turning yellow, that's usually a sign of too much water. Is it always in the shade?

I see by the pic that it isn't in the ground yet.

Sorry--hadn't noticed that it was still in a pot. kwanjin is probably right about too much water then. I don't grow hardy hibiscus, but with tropical hibiscus the other thing that can cause yellowing leaves is inconsistent watering (this can happen in hot weather when they dry out quite a bit, then you drown them with water, then they dry out, etc). If you've got it in a really sunny area you might consider putting it in an area that gets afternoon shade until the weather cools off and you're able to plant it (black pots sitting in full sun can cook a plant's roots, which could also cause the yellowing leaves that you're seeing)

Lord Baltimore is a hardy Hibiscus and is starting to yellow because it's late in the season as well as it's compromised being so big and in a relatively small pot. Though it appreciates the water, it would appreciate being put in the ground even more. Plant it out now in a place that gets good sun and is as wet as your garden allows or accessible for you to water. Don't worry too much about water now, but water once a week if it doesn't rain. It will continue to yellow, die back completely over Winter and then send up new shoots in late Spring. Bait for snails starting in early Spring as they love these Hibiscus and will saw off the shoots until you think you've not over-wintered the plant.

I honestly have no association with DG other than being a paid subscriber, but if you like the site and are encouraged by the information, consider becoming a subscriber in addition to a member. There's a world of information within. I think you can access Plant Files as a member only so here's a link with information to your plant http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/40923/ Good luck and I hope this helps.
Laurel

I second what Maypop said about perhaps becoming a subscriber. I learned more here in 1 week than in 5 years of gardening on my own.

I should mention that the seeds are very easy to propagate come Spring but that's another topic altogether.

Wow! I will definitely consider a subscription based on what I've just experienced here!

Thank you all so much for your help, I think I'll move it to a better spot and see what it does for a few days and plant it soon as well. I kind of figured it might be a little too hopeful to be able to bring my hibiscus inside for the winter, but oh well - I'll be looking for a good spot now!

Again, thanks for the speed of your responses!

(b)kamelonious Welcome to Daves.
I am not an expert on Hibs, though I have 3 hardy garden varieties growing in my garden that I started from commercial seeds.

My guess is that the roots are burning from overheating. A potted plant sitting in sun in summer heat and watered well will get yellow leaves. I suggest you move it where it is shaded from the hot afternoon sun. As has been suggested---plant it!!

My Hibs are growing along my fence with mulch. I find that they are somewhat drought tolerant once established. It is too early---especially where you live---for Hibs to prepare for winter. Mine are still blooming in zone 4, and will continue until frost.

Hibiscus 'Southern Belle'

I have several hardy hibiscus- do note they are VERY late in popping up in spring- mine here in NE don't show their heads 'til into June, so I always leave a cane or 2 in the fall to mark their position so I don't inadvertantly dig them up...
Jill

I moved it to the afternoon shade spot today and the yellow has started to decrease as well...I even got a bloom this morning! The main reason I have been avoiding planting the hibiscus here is because we rent the apartment (house sectional) and I'm not so sure that our landlord would support the idea of planting it here (plus I'd want to take it with us when we move!). I may end up planting it at my parents house, would there be any reason not to plant it near a hydrangea there?

Avianut, good point about marking the plant. Yes they are late in emerging. I have stones with paint marker names for mine.

The Hibiscus family is large and includes non-hardy tropicals that were posted earlier as well as jute, cacao and okra. Though the culture is similar, it's not identical with each species. We have hardy sea mallows growing at our pond edges, okra, which is not hardy and we grow in our kitchen garden, as well as Hibiscus coccineus, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1872/ . They do not require the same culture though they have some things in common. Likewise, even though a Hibiscus is hardy, it does not necessarily require the exact culture as yours. I grew up and have a home in S. FL that has a number of tropical Hibiscus and their culture is different as well because they are growing in alkaline soils. Hibiscus are really not all that complicated but do require a lot of sun so moving your plant to a more shady spot will not ultimately be helpful, IMO. If the issue with your plant was too much sun the entire plant would look bleached. When the bottom leaves start to go you can look at two immediate causes. Either you are not feeding enough nitrogen or, as previously mentioned you are over-watering and washing away nitrogen which would cause the same problem. The other is a season effect of the plant going to rest. Sometimes the plant is not getting what it needs, like it's in a pot that's too small or hasn't been fertilized properly and then goes to rest early. I think this is the case here. If you are wanting to keep it out of ground for a move then pot it in a much larger pot to overwinter and leave it out...

and BTW, welcome to DG. :)
Laurel

Thanks so much Maypop :) Will be subscribing soon, still a student so I'll have to save a little! I'm studying computer engineering at UK, but recently gardening has had me thinking about how I might integrate the two, so perhaps sticking around and getting the experience could inspire me further. Plus, the two month sub doesn't seem enough time to even explore the site lol! :)

This message was edited Aug 30, 2010 11:06 PM

My gardening skills are far superior to my computer skills. lol Good luck with school and I look forward to seeing you on other fora.
Laurel

kamelonious Good that you moved it. I would either repot it in a larger pot (2" larger minimum) or pot it in the ground over at your parent's house. Full sun when in the ground.

If you have a spot that is cold but above freezing, you can winter it over without planting it in the ground. I am not sure, but I think that hardy Hibs may need the winter cold to become dormant and set buds next season.

You can also try to bury the pot with the Hib in it after moving it to a larger pot. Then mulch around it. I have done this with a Clematis in my zone 4 without a problem. At the time didn't know where I wanted to plant it.

By the way, deer and antelope like to munch on the flowers. Grrrr!!!

And yes, when planted in the ground, they don't show growth until the weather warms late spring or early summer.

I actually re-potted my Hib yesterday, into a MUCH larger pot that is colored white. I figured the white pot would help fix the root-burning issue, as well as give it enough space to let the roots spread out in the remaining part of the season. Sometimes it can get down to freezing outside here in Lexington, Kentucky (Zone 6...b if i'm not mistaken) in the range of late Dec. - Feb. Is there any way to protect it while in a pot during the winter?

This message was edited Sep 1, 2010 4:58 PM

Well, if you want some exercise, dig a hole and bury the pot. Otherwise, buy a few bags of mulch (or hay bales) and pile it around the pot up to the rim, or a little above. At least, that;s what I'd try...