Hi,
Here in Baltimore, all out Gardening Show "Guru" talks about is the "Kopper King" Hibiscus. I bought 2 of them at a local Home Depot for $10.99 each in a 2 gal. pot. They are perennial.
I was wooed by the "hype".
I will have to wait until next Summer is over to let you all know how I liked it. I DO love the foliage!
Here's a picture:
Here's a close-up of the tag showing the flower.
I planted a Kopper King this summer and was a little disappointed in it. But maybe it is because it is the first year for it. Make sure you get it planted in the ground before fall so it can have a chance to get its roots established. I know the 2 Hibiscus I planted last fall where my best flowers this year. So I am in high hopes that they will all be better next summer. This is in my own opinion.
Linda
Linda,
Thanks! They are already planted in the beds. One on either side of my house. One will get a long morning sun--the other afternoon sun. I'll be curious to see if one does better than the other.
Be patient! Hibiscus needs a couple of years to put on the show.
Also, remember to mark the spot. They come up very, very late in the season. Here in zone 7a, they don't sprout until end of June-mid July. Then they take off! You don't want to accidentally dig it up!
By the way, VERY few perennials bloom the first year from seed. The perennial Hibiscus is an exception. Seeds will sprout for years after they fall in the soil (mine have) and, even though it is only one stem growing straight up, it will have a cluster of 3-4 blooms on it in the first year.
I had a regular, perennial Hibiscus years ago. It had been there a long time. I wanted to move it. When I went to dig it up, I could not believe the huge roots it had! They were like big, long turnips--over 2 feet long in all directions--whitish in color. Sort of like an old Peonie's. From this one Hibiscus, many, many years ago, it had dropped seeds and to this day, every spring when i dig this bed up, I must bring them back to the surface and a couple will sprout.
Just amazing!!!!
Thanks for your input! Gita
I have mine planted on the south side of my house, full sun. I am looking into a Rion Green House and if I should get it, where I want it would mean I would have to move my strawberry patch and my Kopper King. If we do get the GH I probably won't have it until the end of Oct. or first of Nov. So that will probably slow it down again making another move. But hopefully if we do it in the fall it will be alright for next year. If it happens I guess I will find out.
Linda
Linda,
Do you have a Harbour Freight in your area.... I bought my GH there - it's little but worked very well my first season ....
As for Kopper King - They are worth the wait
Wow your kopper king is really something to look at. No Harbor Frieght around here, that I know of. I did order the Rion from Sam's yesterday, said it would take about 2 to 3 weeks for it to reach me. I will have to check out the Harbor Frieght on line and see what they offer.
Linda
You'll love it no matter where you get it ...... I'd like to have another one .......
When I dig mind up and plant it in another area, I think I will take some cutting and see if I can get some more started for next year.
I'm taking cuttings before the frost sets in to get a jump start as well... I believe I picked up from your posts to just stick them in some potting soil.... am I remembering correctly did I read that's what you do ... ? I have some cuttings in both a water/bubbler and in a potted soil setup...... hoping either one will work .....
dstarz says most hybrid seeds don't come back true to the parent ...... Do you know how to know if a plant is a hybrid...?
Be sure and post pics of that GH when you get it ....
I have never had any luck placing in soil.. I do better if I put them in my bubbler. That poor thing is getting so full. Everytime something breaks off I run in the house mark it and in the bubbler it goes. I do have 4 hardies, in Rapid Rooters, first time I have tried them.
Linda
I suspect you're going to love your 'Kopper King'. I grow it here in my zone with very few problems. When I moved to Minnesota years ago, hibiscus was one of the plants that ,obviously, would not grow here and I was forced to "baby" potted tropical hibiscus. Then along came the Fleming Brothers. Hooray!!!! Can't beat 'Kopper King' for color and beautiful follage when it's not in bloom. It is very late breaking dormancy in spring, so be patient.
Do think these will still be as popular this year? I always wanted one and never got around to getting it. I was thinking about buying them for resale but don't want to be stuck with 25 of them. LOL I know they are new to some of you, but do you love the coloring?
Badseed: Many 'Northerners' have never experienced the beauty of a hibiscus in bloom. This one, as well as some of the other Fleming Brothers cultivars make that possible. What I've noticed here in my zone 4, is that each year they are becoming MORE popular as people discover they truly are hardy to this area.
Margaret
Thank you Margaret! I have many myself including Lord Baltimore, Blue River II, and several others I am not recalling off hand. I have the pink and white swirled one, white with a red eye, pink with a red eye and some others. There is something that gets me about huge flowers! Maybe I will go ahead with the Hibiscus. :)
This is REALLY weird!!!! I posted in this Forum and when i was done, I clicked on "send". Then this error message came up. I could not do anything to correct it.
Well, I soon realized that Dave was "messing" with all the Forums again and everything was on hold.....
SO! I will try to re-post mu thoughts--if I can remember them.....
Badseed......
I bought my 2 at HD this past summer. They were in 2 gal. pots for $10.99 each. See my original post at the top!
Margaret---------
I was asking you if the Kopper King made seeds or not. If they do, do the seeds sprout and grow true to their parents (the KK's) ? Do they even make seed pods like the regular, perennial Hibiscus?
Linda/vs71099..........
How are your cuttings doing? In water OR in soill? Is one any better than the other? Please share!
My KK's will be in their second year this summer. i look forward to seeing how they fared--East and South exposure. I just know they will be spectacular!!!!
Thanks for any input! Gita
Gitagal: I have not seen any seeds pods on mine. But, I probably have not given them a chance since I'm one of those 'fanatics' that keep all the dead blossoms picked off.
I tried seeds.... they didn't come back as Kopper Kings......
You'll love Kopper King - mine did much better the second year than the first. Below is last summer's picture. This plant was at least 5 ft tall though, so give it lots of room.....
I got mine from Wayside - they come in a small plastic pot but by second year all grew to be full size.
That is absolutely gorgeous, Steve. I love the copper colored foliage. But best of all, it grows for me here in zone 4.
I bought 2 from Park's spring before last.($5.95 each).. Had a good many flowers this past summer...Bush was sort of scrawny, something kept the leaves stripped no matter how much I sprayed and dusted..Never saw the first pest...strange.. This year I will start spraying earlier, lol.. Flowers are very pretty..
Larkie
Thanks sybil - yeah it is nice being able to have these as perennials. I have a couple Fantasias and several Fireballs as well. Even though I am obviously farther south than you, the tropical ones are not hardy here either.
The bad thing is that these things REALLY root hard. I had to pull a Fantasia out and it was like trying to uproot a tree after only two seasons.
Hmm Larkie - I have not seen pests on mine. What variety did you get?
For my area, the Fleming Brothers' varieties are the only ones that will survive.
