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Planting and Growing Perennial Hibiscus: Tips for Bigger Blooms

A dinner plate sized Lady Baltimore Pink Hibiscus in the garden.

A Lady Baltimore Pink Hibiscus.

Image Credit:
Bryan Pollard/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Hibiscus syriacus, H. moscheutos, H. coccineus
Grown as
Perennial
USDA Zones
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
6-10 feet
Spread
6-10 feet
Soil pH
Acidic
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
Blue
Multicolor
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Special Features
Disease-Resistant
Long Blooming
Low Maintenance
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Hummingbirds
Attracts Pollinators
Resilience
Clay Soil Tolerant
Cold Hardy
Heat-Tolerant
Plant Type
Shrubs and Bushes
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

With huge, colorful, dinner-plate-size flowers, perennial hibiscus plants add a bold, tropical effect to the garden. They are also highly attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds! Here’s how to plant, grow, and care for hibiscus flowers.

There are many types of hibiscus. This growing guide covers perennial hibiscus grown for their strikingly beautiful, big, disc-shaped, hollyhock-like flowers that can measure up to 12 inches across!

Perennial hibiscus can grow up to 8 feet tall, but dwarf varieties are only 2 to 3 feet tall. 

Hibiscus are members of the mallow family, which has over 300 members that include annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs.

Planting

When to Plant Hibiscus

Hibiscus can be purchased as young plants from nurseries and are best planted in the spring. Or they can be rooted from a cutting in the spring.

If you wish to grow hibiscus from seed, sow indoors 12 weeks before the last spring frost date. Soak seeds in very warm water for 1 hour before sowing. Alternatively, seeds can be sown outdoors after the last expected frost date.

Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site

  • Choose a site that gets full sun; the plants will grow in partial sun but will not flower as well.
  • Hibiscus prefer well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. They prefer neutral to slightly acidic soil.
  • To avoid breakage of the long stems, plant hibiscus where they won’t be exposed to strong winds.

How to Plant Hibiscus

  • Plant potted hibiscus plants so that their stems are just at the soil surface.
  • To root a cutting in the spring, cut off a branch 5 to 6 inches long and strip off lower leaves. Plant the cutting in a pot with a mix of 3 parts sand and 1 part peat. Roots should form within a few weeks. Transplant the cutting from the pot into the ground.
  • The hibiscus species that die back each year can be spaced 2 to 3 feet apart. Consider the potential height and width (up to 12 feet and 10 feet, respectively) of a mature plant before planting.
  • Water the plants well at the time of planting.

Growing

How to Care for Hibiscus Shrubs

  • Hibiscus needs frequent watering, especially when young and new. When watering, do so deeply and thoroughly, drenching the plant.
  • Mulch around the plant to retain moisture and to provide winter protection for the roots.
  • To encourage rebloom, either remove the spent flowers before they form seed heads or prune plants back by one-third after a flush of bloom is finished.
  • Perennial hibiscus will freeze back to the ground each winter; cut old stems to the ground.
  • Hibiscus blooms on new wood (this year’s growth), so pruning is best done in the spring.
  • In early spring, remove dead stems from established plants and apply a balanced fertilizer.
  • Over the growing season, hibiscus can benefit from a fertilizer that is high in potassium, medium to medium-high in nitrogen, and low in phosphorus, as the plant can be sensitive to phosphorus.
  • Mature plants can be divided in the spring, not fall.

Pests and Problems

Insect pests of hibiscus include aphids, Japanese beetles, and whiteflies. 

Clean up all plant debris to avoid fungal diseases, which can cause leaf spots. Don’t crowd plants, and keep mulch from touching the stems to avoid blight. 

Types

Scarlet swamp hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus): This plant, also known as Texas star, has five-petaled, brilliant-red flowers. It grows to a height of 7 feet each growing season, dies back to the ground every winter, and resprouts in spring.

Rose mallow (H. moscheutos): This is the classic dinner-plate hibiscus due to the large size of its flowers. These large, fast-growing plants bloom from August to October, and each plant may flaunt several 10- to 12-inch-wide flowers at once. A few of the many popular cultivars are:

  • ‘Anne Arundel’ has pink flowers, 9 inches in diameter, on plants 5 feet tall.
  • ‘Kopper King’ has light pink to white flowers with a burgundy center, 12 inches in diameter, with coppery red deeply cut leaves.
  • ‘Lady Baltimore’ is a popular old variety with pink flowers and red centers on 5-foot-tall plants.
  • ‘Lord Baltimore’ is another old variety with red flowers on 5-foot-tall plants.

Wit and Wisdom

  • The plant has been used to soothe headaches, aching limbs, coughs, and inflammations.
  • Hibiscus tea is made from parts of a different type of hibiscus, Hibiscus sabdariffa—also known as roselle or Florida cranberry. It’s native to West Africa but is now grown across Central America, the Caribbean, and even Florida.
  • In Victorian times, giving a hibiscus blossom to a person meant that the giver acknowledged the receiver’s delicate beauty. Learn more about the language of flowers.
  • The yellow hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii.

Shrubs and Trees

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening, so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/jennifer-keating">Jennifer Keating</a> Fri, 06/16/2023 - 09:27

Lisa-

It completely depends on what your space allows for. We love a big Hibiscus, but if you are limited in space, it may make sense to prune.

 <span>Larry</span> Thu, 06/08/2023 - 13:30
What causes leaves to yellow.
<span>Ruth</span> Sun, 07/09/2023 - 10:12
My plant was doing so well and then overnight the leaves started to turn yellow. I have it in a window but not in direct sun. I water it when it needs it.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 06/09/2023 - 17:55

Yellow leaves are a common problem. It can be caused by excessive watering. It can be a sign the plant needs food (fertilizer). It can also be normal in the spring when plants are transitioning. Finally, any dramatic change in air temp, soil moisture, or drafts can affect a plant's leaf color.

 <span>Eileen</span> Sun, 01/29/2023 - 21:15
What hibiscus for medicinal use would do well in NW Washington State (north or Seattle)?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 02/03/2023 - 09:31

Hi Eileen, Thanks for your question. Rose of Sharon and Roselle are two that are rated to grow in your hardiness zone. Both are perennial shrubs that can grow rather large over time. When considering where to plant—whether in the ground or in a container—follow the tips above for planting and care. Hibiscus is a tropical plant so special care needs to be taken for them to thrive in areas where temperatures drop near freezing. In colder climates, gardeners may prefer to plant them in containers so they can be brought indoors during winter. You can also connect with your local Cooperative Extension for more varieties to plant that are suitable to your area.

 <span>Rosalee</span> Fri, 09/16/2022 - 16:38
This site has had the simplest and most appreciated information on my plant. I was always told to not let it seed out but it seems I don't have to worry about that ? I have dug up portions and given to friends thru the years. Thanks for making it easy !
<span>Anne</span> Thu, 06/30/2022 - 08:51
Fairfield Conn. has a fantastic Hibiscus grove/plantation in front of the Staples store; (@ Exit 22); I'll go there today to see how big the Hibiscus flowers are~: )
<span>Linda Albertson</span> Fri, 05/20/2022 - 08:17
Is there a hardy Hibiscus plant for Zone 3?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 07/01/2022 - 11:35

Unfortunately, the lowest zone is zone 4.  These plants aren't fans of frost. However, you could get away with zone 3 if you bring inside when it gets colder. Put in a place that stays warmer than 50 degrees and has light.