Tropical Hibiscus: Get Ready for Summer

Are you of the mind that the plants you choose ought to be native to your area? Generally, I am. But there is an undeniable appeal to adding a small grouping of tropicals to your garden or patio each summer, even if winter for you involves hats, coats, and scarves, as it does for me. Tropical Hibiscus, Canna, Caladium, and other plants can add just the exotic touch you need to let everyone know it’s summer (or soon to be). For that reason, they seem appropriate in any garden. In fact, they seem almost vital.

The Genus Hibiscus

Hibiscus is a genus name, and within that genus, you’ll find:

1. Shrub Hibiscus—think: Rose of Sharon, which has strong woody stems and a branching habit, the ability to grow to the height of a small tree, a good coverage of flowers from the middle-to-end of summer, and leaves that fall when the temperature drops;
2. Perennial Hibiscus—think: Rose Mallow, with saucer-sized blooms at the end of summer, dying back in the cold weather and returning in spring; and
3. Tropical Hibiscus—think: bold orange, yellow, pink, or red blooms appearing in multiples from spring through fall, long anthers and other features that seem to create the ideal hummingbird feeders, perfect full form for container planting, and the potential to be enjoyed as a houseplant.

Shrub Hibiscus

If you have a well established Shrub Hibiscus, or Rose of Sharon, and allow its seeds to drop, as most gardeners do, you will find what look like countless tiny trees—typically, single stems with some good leaf budding—that you can dig up and transplant or gift to others to spread the wealth. They go into the ground with ease and typically take hold beautifully, focusing on height and greenery in the first year, and then flowering in future years. The self-propagating nature of the Rose of Sharon indicates how strong this shrub is.

Perennial Hibiscus

Perennial Hibiscus plants are a good back-border size, but they never approach the height or spread of a Rose of Sharon. But the Perennial Hibiscus has truly large flowers. I see these blooms mainly in reds, pink tones, and white… bold, appealing color. You’ll forget you have these planted, and then as summer approaches, you’ll be reminded of what is to come when the greenery begins to show itself. Although there aren’t nearly as many blooms on these plants as there are on a Rose of Sharon, again, it is their impressive size that is their draw.

Tropical Hibiscus

It is the Tropical Hibiscus that heralds “summer” for most Hibiscus lovers. And we’re not talking about the perfectly nice but simple summer of hammocks and cool lemonade. We’re talking flower-behind-the-ear fashion, waves rolling up on a soft-sand beach, stunning sunsets…. Tropical Hibiscus has that sort of summer feel. (Not too shabby, eh?)

Tropical Hibiscus flowers are not saucer-sized, although now, some cultivars have been bred to have bigger and bigger blooms. Rather than the size of their blooms, Tropical Hibiscus plants are made special by a.) their continuous blooming nature, blooming in abundance all summer, whereas the Shrubs and Perennial “cousins” wait until quite late in the summer season to show their color; b.) the fact that they can travel indoors to a sunny spot for use as houseplants during the cold months; and c.) the colors of their blooms, in the brightest yellows, pinks, orange tones, and reds—colors of stunning sunsets, exotic fruits, tropical birds. These colors bring “summer” to any garden.

Care

Tropical Hibiscus is an easy-care option, especially when grown in containers. Don’t look to Tropical Hibiscus to be a “filler” or a “spiller” in your plant pot. It will not need companions to add interest, maintain color, and keep looking beautiful. Give it the entire container (perhaps an ocean blue-glazed ceramic pot for great contrast), and your Tropical Hibiscus will provide enough visual interest to be all that is needed… all that a patio needs, all that a sunny entryway needs.

There are useful guides that get even the newest gardeners on track to having a very exotic and healthy plant as part of the summertime garden line-up. Even better, once you get one Tropical Hibiscus, you’ll likely get a few other tropicals, such as tall Cannas, for elsewhere around your home. But don’t expect you’ll have to do much reading to gear up for caring for your Tropical Hibiscus: Almost no cautions are needed. Like other plants that engage in heavy flowering, Tropical Hibiscus will want to be fertilized regularly. But that, and keeping your plant moist during summer, will be manageable tasks… a small price to pay in return for a plant that calls out SUMMER, even in four-season climates where gardeners are just emerging from the cold.