Huge flowers on a Hibiscus shrub can take an ordinary flower garden and make it extraordinary.

There are two main types of Hibiscus. The hardy Hibiscus does well as far north as zone 4, but the tropical Hibiscus won’t survive outdoors north of zone 9.

In Kansas we grow the hardy Hibiscus (obviously), which stands over 5’ tall and produces amazing red flowers. While it is a show stopper, the show is short. One day you’ll see amazing flowers and the next day they are gone. While the flowers are short-lived, there is an abundance of them.

By deadheading the plants, the blooms will continue from late summer to the first frost.

While Hibiscus may look difficult to grow, this isn’t true. Simply prune back the Hibiscus in late winter or early spring to about six inches and watch it take off with new growth as the weather warms. Be sure you plant in a sunny location with well-drained soil, too, and that’s about it.

Fertilize a couple of times during the growing season, then sit back and watch the beauty of a Hibiscus.

“I cultivate my garden, and my garden cultivates me.” — Robert Breault, American Opera Tenor

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