Plant Taxonomy of Hibiscus Flowers:
Plant taxonomy classifies the hibiscus flowers with which I deal in this article as Hibiscus moscheutos. They also go by such common names as "rose mallows" and "swamp mallows." But I prefer the more descriptive nicknames "hardy hibiscus" and "dinner-plate hibiscus," for these names tell you that Hibiscus moscheutos is quite cold hardy despite bearing large blooms that remind one of the tropics. The information below pertains to cultivars such as 'Disco Belle Rosy Red.' The colors of the most common cultivars are white, bi-colored, or various shades of red or pink, but other colors are now available.Plant Type for Hibiscus Flowers:
Although hardy hibiscus plants are woody in summer and function as sub-shrubs in the landscape, their stems do die back to the ground in winter, making them herbaceous perennials, technically.Characteristics of Hibiscus Flowers:
'Disco Belle Rosy Red' hibiscus plants reach about 2 1/2 feet in height with a spread slightly less than that, but the measurement more folks concentrate on is the bloom size -- up to 10 inches for cultivars such as 'Galaxy'! As you can see from the picture above, even cultivars with smaller blooms still produce impressive, saucer-size flowers. While each bloom lives only a day or two, they are quickly replaced by newcomers.Planting Zones for Hibiscus Flowers:
The species plant for these hibiscus flowers is indigenous to eastern North America. Hardy hibiscus flower cultivars can be grown in planting zones 4-9.Sun and Soil Requirements for Hibiscus Flowers:
Plant hardy hibiscus flowers in full sun and in an average-to-wet soil.Care for Hibiscus Flowers:
If you're not planting hardy hibiscus flowers in a wet spot, then make sure they're adequately watered. Because the blossoms are so large -- yet so ephemeral! -- deadheading is recommended after blooming, for aesthetic purposes.Uses for Hibiscus Flowers:
Hardy hibiscus plants will typically bloom in late July or early August in northern climes. This feature makes them valuable specimen plants in landscaping plans that strive for spring-to-fall color, since fewer flowering shrubs bloom at this time than at other times during the growing season.
The species plant is a wetland plant, and hardy hibiscus flowers can be treated as plants for wet soils -- i.e., areas where most other plants wouldn't grow well. This makes them useful around water features.
Wildlife Attracted by Hibiscus Flowers:
Hardy hibiscus flowers will attract butterflies.More on Hibiscus Flowers:
When you think of hibiscus flowers, you think first of tropical plants (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), right?. If you live in a northern clime, what comes to mind next may be rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus); but it doesn't bear large enough flowers to boast a tropical look. If you want a taste of the tropics in the North, plant hardy hibiscus plants (cultivars of Hibiscus moscheutos); some produce hibiscus flowers the size of a dinner plate!
