Swamp Hibiscus, Scarlet Rose Mallow, Texas Star (Hibiscus coccineus)

This is a great plant for a water garden. I have had this one for three years in my water garden. Each year it gets a little bigger and has more blooms. This year it reached about 8 feet in height. The plants die back and regrow from the roots each year. The old stalks can be cut down. This one hasn't been a prolific reseeder for me, though it does produce plenty of seeds.

Lovely picture BG!

Thanks, Stacey! I got the scanner hooked up to the new computer and am busily scanning in all my hard copy pix so I can share with everyone :)

Hello Butterfly gardener, it amazes me that this hibiscus will grow in water. I have mine in different sites all over my yard even on a slope with full sun. I do water regularly but they are not anywhere near standing water. Evidently this plant is very adaptable.
I love this plant because of the beautiful clear red and the simplicity and perfection of the blooms.
I named my website after it.
Sincerely, Josephine Keeney,aka Frostweed.

This message was edited Monday, May 24th 2:05 PM

Butterfly Gardener, glad you posted the pictures and names of Texas Star Hibiscus. I did not know which hibiscus it was. Root gave me some seeds and i have 4 seedlings ready to go out into the garden, but now I am pretty sure they aren't hardy enough to winter over here in my zone 5 garden. I will try growing one in a pot and carry over winter in the greenhouse. Enjoyed the hyperlink. Very pretty flower. Donna

does anyone else have large pink stems on their texas star, cause i do and everyone tells me how fake it looks because of it's pink stems and a couple of other characteristics,just wondering, thanks

Hello texas star buds,this is Frostweed. I don't know if the pink stem
you are referring to is the long pistil that comes out of the center
of the flower. All hibicus have a long pistil like that, and it is what
makes them so distintctive. I can not imagine anyone saying that
they look fake, just because they are so perfect. The Texas Star
is beautiful and perfect just the way God created it, and you can tell
that to all those people who find fault with it.
Sincerely, Josephine Keeney.

well thank you frost, but i meant the stems of the plant as in what comes out of the dirt up to what leads to the leaves,just can't figure it out, thanks though

Nice pic! They are beautiful plants, I have seen a swamp just north of Orlando full of them in bloom. Nothing else like it. I thought about planting some in my garden, but I don't know if they'd get enough sun and moisture to be effective...they seemed to be growing right up to the water if not actually in it in the wild.

This message was edited Jul 10, 2004 10:36 AM

Dear Steggie, my name is Josephine and I live in Arlington Texas.
I have Texas Star plants in many different places in my yard.
Some on a slope in full sun and some on level groung and part sun.
They all do well and they don't have to have large ammounts of water
although they need to be watered often. Don't be afraid to try them
you will be glad you did.
Sincerely, Josephine Keeney

Hello,texas-star-buds. I have searched and searched for you and
finally found a picture of a Texas Star that has pink or reddish stems.
I don't know if it is due to the variety or to the soil that it is being
grown in. You might want to email them and ask about the color
of the stems.
Go to the link below and chech it out.
Sincerely, Josephine.



http://www.sunshine-seeds.de/hibiscus/foto_hibiscusart.htm

This message was edited Jul 20, 2004 12:54 PM