Hibiscus

The hibiscus shrubs or Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) are blooming now. A very plain bush is transformed into a beauty when the flowers open in mid-summer. In the south everyone’s grandma had a hibiscus in her yard.  

Some of the showiest hibiscus are perennials that die back to the ground every fall. They produce tall stems with large flowers in the upper leaf axils. We have one of these in the friendship garden. It’s about seven feet tall and has large, hot pink flowers. When the soil warms up in late spring, it shoots up. Staking will keep it erect. All  hibiscus like full sun. We’re not sure which species our hibiscus is, but it’s worth a trip to the arboretum to see the pink blossoms towering overhead.

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