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Malvaceae
Hardy Hibiscus
Hibiscus moscheutos
Bold beauty, Southern grace, dinner-plate drama.
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Genus
- Hibiscus
- Native to
- Eastern North America
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 120–240 cm (4–8 ft)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Moist, rich
- Water
- High
- Hardiness
- 5–9
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Hardy hibiscus produces the largest flowers of any perennial in temperate gardens—dinner-plate blooms up to 12 inches across, the size of a salad plate.
- Despite their tropical look, these are tough wetland natives of American swamps and marshes—they survive winters down to –30°F by dying back to the ground each fall.
- Each flower lasts only a single day, but a mature plant can produce 50–100 blooms a season, making the garden look like it's hosting a Hawaiian shirt convention.
- Their late emergence in spring (sometimes not until June in northern gardens) leads many gardeners to assume they've died over winter—but they reliably explode into growth once warm weather arrives.
- Modern breeding has produced near-black ('Midnight Marvel') and pure white forms, plus tropical-looking compact varieties that fit in patio containers.
Color meanings
0
bold beauty
1
summer grace
2
dramatic flair