Hardy hibiscus

I have been admiring these beautiful plants now in bloom in my area. But I was a little dissappointed to discover that the blooms only seem to last one day and that the branches get top-heavy and fall over. Are there any hardy hibiscus that have longer-lasting blossoms? Can they be pinched back so that they branch out and don't fall over?

Hi. I cut mine back nearly to the ground each spring. Each year they come back bigger and bushier with more stems. I don't have a problem with them falling over, but maybe it is because the plant is older and bushier? True though that they don't flower for long, but once you get enough stems, they do bloom for a decent amount of time. Maybe pulling off spent flowers and not letting them go to seed would prolong the bloom. I always let mine go to seed because so many people want them.

Thanks. I think your name should be Goodseed

My first year plants from seed are blooming now. They are tall, over 6 feet, and have a few flowers at the tops. I was told that pinching them back would make them bushier, but would also make them flower later. The flowers do last only one day, but are steadily replaced. I do stake mine, as they are in pots. The few planted in the ground are much sturdier and seem to branch naturally. I am amazed that these plants were started by me from seed, and is in bloom the same year, with flowers 9 inches and more across in all shades of pink, rose, and red, with and without dark red eyes. Also growing a very pale yellow form, and Blue River II, a huge (14") flowered pure white. Could you use any seed? John

How much sun do they need, John?

Janet, I have found full sun to be best. They will tolerate some slight shade, but: I have a huge number of pots on my patio, some in full sun, others don't get full sun until later in the day, as there is a canopy over part of the patio. The full sun plants are much sooner to bloom, and a foot or two taller. [Yes, I have strated to rotate them!]. The ones up against the house (painted white) are the tallest and most blooms probably from the reflected light. But they do need to be kept moist! John

When you talk about hardy Hibiscus are you talking about Rose of Sharon? My reference books say ROS is a Hypericum but what I call ROS looks like Hibiscus. My pink with burgundy flowers has been in the yard for 40+ years and just keeps doing its thing with nothing more than an annual prune.

Thanks John. Sounds like I'll have to wait for the next dwelling place, *sigh*.

Deed, Rose of Sharon is a commonname applied to a number of plants, but to me it is the Hibiscus now in bloom, like your pink and burgundy. This is Hibiscus syriacus, with woody stems, compared to Hibiscus moscheutos, the hardy Hibiscus we have been discussing for the huge blooms. H. moscheutos will die back to the ground, H.syriacus does not. Janet, I believe that H. syriacus will tolerate a little more partial shade than H. moscheutos. By the way, the tropical Hibiscus is H. rosa-sinensis, and has never been successfully crossed with the other two, so far. John

John...Thanks for the info...with all our regional names and gardening customs tossed together here at DG it is sometimes easy to get lost and be not quite sure what plant we are talking about. I LOVE that we are easy going and not sticklers for latin, but to all our new gardeners make the effort to learn the latin names of the plants you grow..that really is our common language....my bizzie lizzie might be something quite different and unattractive to yours! Anyway...Janet..my Hibiscus syriacus...Rose of Sharon...grows along the northern edge of my city lot...it is shaded from the sun by a big old pear tree and at best gets filtered light, but blooms every year without fail...needs little summer water and truely is low care. Its blooms may not be huge, but great things come in little packages! Dee

Hmm, may have to reconsider...

Thanks indeed, deed. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

LOL:)

I have both Rose of Sharon (purple and white) and the hardy hibiscus 9(red). Other than similarity in the blooms, the RoS
being much smaller, they are totally different plants. The RoS doesn't die back, only looses leaves, and the hibiscus dies back and comes up from the roots every year. Less of a shrub than the RoS. I have seeds from RoS now and will have the hibuscus later, if interested.