Hi All,
I planted 4 hibiscus this past March, they are growing well and the foliage is awesome. Seems like I get several buds every day, but either the wind, or rain, or just their weight knocks them off before they can open. Are they always this fragile or is this some self-inflicted problem?
Russ
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I feel like there are several different species that are commonly called “hibiscus”.
I used to have tropical “hibiscus” that had to be hauled inside every winter — large plants 3-4 ft tall in large containers. Gorgeous flowers but prone to mites and scale.
I have hardy “hibiscus” and swamp “hibiscus” that are planted in the ground. They each have different characteristics and needs….
If yours is the tropical species, I probably can’t help much. But I do wonder — if the foliage is “awesome”, could it be related to too much nitrogen resulting in flowerbud drop in many other flowering plant species…? What kind of feeding regimen are you following?
I used to have tropical “hibiscus” that had to be hauled inside every winter — large plants 3-4 ft tall in large containers. Gorgeous flowers but prone to mites and scale.
I have hardy “hibiscus” and swamp “hibiscus” that are planted in the ground. They each have different characteristics and needs….
If yours is the tropical species, I probably can’t help much. But I do wonder — if the foliage is “awesome”, could it be related to too much nitrogen resulting in flowerbud drop in many other flowering plant species…? What kind of feeding regimen are you following?
Are you growing syriacus? It is the only hibiscus I know of that tolerates colder weather.
https://www.gardenia.net/plant/hibiscus ... -of-sharon
Most of the hibiscus that can be grown here are tropical hybrids. There are natives too.
A hybrid hibiscus with heart shaped leaves has large showy flowers. Malvaceae species have palmate leaves and are not bothered by erineum mites. They are bothered by whiteflies and scale.
They can become trees but are usually grown as shrubs. They are often used as hedges here. My neighbor has a hybrid hibiscus hedge. They are long lived plants here in the tropics. They are fairly wind tolerant when planted as a hedge. The flexible branches bend in the wind and don't snap unless the winds are over 60 mph. A lot of things will snap at those wind speeds. They need to be pruned regularly if you don't want a 15-20 ft tree. They are not happy in pots unless it is big enough. They are also not very drought tolerant. They don't need a lot of water, but they do need regular water. The palmate malva hibiscus tolerate drier conditions and actually, don't like wet feet.
https://www.gardenia.net/plant/hibiscus ... -of-sharon
Most of the hibiscus that can be grown here are tropical hybrids. There are natives too.
A hybrid hibiscus with heart shaped leaves has large showy flowers. Malvaceae species have palmate leaves and are not bothered by erineum mites. They are bothered by whiteflies and scale.
They can become trees but are usually grown as shrubs. They are often used as hedges here. My neighbor has a hybrid hibiscus hedge. They are long lived plants here in the tropics. They are fairly wind tolerant when planted as a hedge. The flexible branches bend in the wind and don't snap unless the winds are over 60 mph. A lot of things will snap at those wind speeds. They need to be pruned regularly if you don't want a 15-20 ft tree. They are not happy in pots unless it is big enough. They are also not very drought tolerant. They don't need a lot of water, but they do need regular water. The palmate malva hibiscus tolerate drier conditions and actually, don't like wet feet.
- Attachments
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- Princess Michiko hybrid hibiscus
heart shaped leaves
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- hibiscus mutabilis aka confederate rose. Palmate leaves
If the tag said the hibiscus is hardy to zone 9, it might be Rose of Sharon. I can grow these but I usually only try to grow Aden's blue. It is not the same as a tropical hibiscus. One of the problems I see is that they are planted very close to the fence. It will interfere with air circulation and you will have more pest problems. Depending on the direction, the fence will block the light making the hibiscus grow tall with weak branches. You must be getting enough light for the flowers to bloom. Hibiscus will not bloom well if it is in the shade. The plants are small. The branches should get thicker and stronger as the plant grows. The flowers are blooming on very young green stems that are not hardened yet. You could try staking the stems to help support the flowers or take the flowers off and let the plant grow more so the stems are not soft.
https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/how ... ose-sharon
https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/how ... ose-sharon
Thanks, I'll look into that link. I've just got started in gardening and have made more than a few miscues! These were sold by a local nursery as "shade tolerant". The north corner of our pool area stays in deep shade, left of the pix gets mostly sun, area of the pix gets limited early morning and late afternoon sun, from right of that pic N to the corner, then E another 15 feet or so is in continual shade.
Off-topic, I've been looking for some type of perennial that will flower in orange/yellow/white to brighten up that shady corner which currently has dwarf Holly and Azalea shrubs. OK but not showy except the Az for a couple weeks in spring. Any ideas? Seems most of the easily grown flowers here tend towards purple...
Russ
Off-topic, I've been looking for some type of perennial that will flower in orange/yellow/white to brighten up that shady corner which currently has dwarf Holly and Azalea shrubs. OK but not showy except the Az for a couple weeks in spring. Any ideas? Seems most of the easily grown flowers here tend towards purple...
Russ
It depends on how much light you have in your shady spot. Most blooming plants do require more light. The plants that tolerate more shade will only be seasonal bloomers like hydrangea or hosta. Most shade flowers are purple or blue. Yellow and orange flowers usually need more light. White flowers may bloom in shady spots. However, at least here white flowers are moth pollinated which means they open in the evening and are closed or start to wither in the daytime. These are fragrant plants like gardenia and jasmine. Usually for shade I look more for texture and foliage color instead of bloom.
Hibiscus flowers do generally last for a day. Sometimes they will hang on a second day but the color will have changed and they usually won't last the entire second day.
Hibiscus flowers do generally last for a day. Sometimes they will hang on a second day but the color will have changed and they usually won't last the entire second day.