My neighbor has a tree type hardy hibiscus in her garden, and for the last two years I have been getting volunteers. Some are already 4' tall or so in my 6b/7a location.
I remember some of them bloomed last summer and they were white with a dark pinkish maroon center. Will they all bloom like that or is there a chance will I be surprised?
Will they be difficult to remove if I let them grow all summer? I'd like to see what the bloom colors are in case I want to keep any, but not if they will be very difficult to dig up.
Can one make tea from hardy hibiscus or is the tea from the more tropical types?
Also I will have to dig some up now if anyone wants them?
Thanks!
hibiscus volunteers all over
Your neighbor's plant is probably Hibiscus syriacus, which does spread aggressively in some areas. If the original plant was a hybrid, then the seedlings won't all necessarily look like it so you may get some different kinds of flowers, although if a bunch of the seedlings already bloomed and all had similar looking flowers, chances are most of the rest of them will look similar to that too. You may get some different ones, but given the tendency to spread and the fact that any plant is going to be easier to remove when it's small, I'd be inclined to pull them.
Hibiscus tea is made from a tropical hibiscus species (Hibiscus sabdariffa for sure...maybe a few other species as well). I don't think H. syriacus would make good tea.