I am planning to plant several hibiscus, and would like at least some of them to be the hardy type. There appear to be lots of reds to choose from, but I haven't run across an orange/peach/coral. Any suggestions?
I have never had a hibiscus of any kind, and am really just starting to learn. I noticed in one thread somebody identified a hibiscus as tropical based only on a photo of the blossom itself. What characteristics about a blossom signify tropical? Also, I visited a nursery yesterday that had several hibiscus with dullish leaves but when I looked up the cultivar names, they were all tropicals. Any help distinguishing hardy vs. tropical would be most appreciated.
Overwintering -- when I look up tropicals in PF, I see zone 9a usually as the coldest zone, down to 20 degrees F. Does that mean the plants are outside without protection or with protection? What is the coldest temp, unprotected, for tropicals?
From what I've read, one cuts back tropicals in late winter/early spring, rather than at the start of winter. Doesn't that make it hard to put frost protection covers over the untrimmed plants? If they aren't protected, are the roots still hardy?
I'm in zone 9b, just a couple of blocks from a bay just off the Gulf, so we get a lot of wind. Wind chill is significant. I assume this matters to hibiscus?
Thanks in advance, from newbie -
Susan
hardy hibiscus in a coral or orange?
I'll have to look tonight when I have more time and get back to you on hardies in orange/coral. But when you see zone 9a listed for hardiness, you're looking at the tropicals not the hardies. Depending on which hardy species you're looking at, they're hardy at least to zone 7 and some hardies like Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) can go even colder than that.
In your zone, you could probably grow tropicals outdoors, but there will be winters where you'll lose some of them, and even if they survive the winters, they'll start blooming much earlier the following year if you keep them somewhere warm for the winter. I keep mine in my greenhouse now, and many of them will continue to bloom over the winter and then they go gangbusters in the spring, but ones that I've left outdoors tend to look like sad sticks until April or so, and it's usually late summer before they get around to blooming again. (and we had an unusual cold snap last winter and that killed the one I hadn't put in the greenhouse, so you have to watch out for the weather too)
As far as wind, I'd try to protect them a bit, they don't always have the sturdiest stems and their leaves can get shredded if it's too windy. But in terms of wind chill I don't know if you have to worry--at least the way things are here, the only nights we get frost are the nights that are still and cold, if the wind's blowing then we don't get frost.
A lot of houses around here have tropicals, and most seem to bloom through the winter. This winter was mild, though, and it was our first winter. The proprietor at a local nursery doesn't care much for the hardies and says the tropicals are what people use around here. Her nursery had some hardies, which had all been cut back almost to the ground.
Your comment on the wind and frost is interesting. My triangle palm got wind burned this winter, so my assumption has been that the wind adds to the cold. We did not have freezing temps this winter.
I look forward to what you discover about orangish hardies.
I have a peachy pink hardy double but it does tend to be more pink than peach most of the time. It is usually deciduous and I cut it back in the winter to shape it. Last year it was so warm that it never lost it's leaves and I didn't cut it back. However, by summertime it really looked ratty.
Well, I took a look and didn't see any orange/coral hardies, so I think you're stuck with the tropicals if you want those colors. If other people near you grow them with no problem then you'll probably be fine. Even though we're in the same zone our climates are nothing alike...we probably dip below freezing about as often as you do, but we get down close to freezing on many, many nights and maybe you get close to it less often (and with tropicals, fewer cumulative hours of exposure to almost freezing temperatures and fewer nights with light frost can make all the difference in terms of their happiness!)
As far as the wind--the damage you're seeing is probably due to the dessicating effect of the wind more so than the temperatures.
Wow, that's very helpful regarding the climate differences. And what you say about the wind really makes sense. I feel as though my eyes have been opened!
I think I'll enjoy checking out tropicals...
What we call hardy hibiscus (mallows) up here have the dull leaves and the tropicals have shiny leaves. The tropicals die here if they are left outside. As far as I know there are no orange,peach colored hardies. The rose of sharon is different from the dinner plate hibs like Lord Baltimore or Fireball, the rose of sharon are also hardy here in zone 6 and I do believe down to zone 4 or 5.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/982/
I've got room for several hibiscus in the bed, so from what I'm learning here, I've decided to do all tropical in that group. I may do Lord Baltimore or Confederate Rose plants elsewhere. And in another place, I am planning to have several Texas Star Hibiscus.
I love the oranges and peaches. What are the favorites in this color realm among tropicals? (Or should I do another thread?)
Check this out
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/797903/
Carolina Breeze is not one of the fancier ones but it is easy to find in nurseries. This is a summer picture when the colors are paler.
Carolina Breeze in cooler weather.
Monrovia's Golden Dust
Persimmon
June's Joy
I like June's Joy and Persimmon, those are beautiful.
Great pics, Ardesia - I just love your June's Joy!
That thread on favorites is fantastic! Thanks for the link, and I will study. I have seen Carolina Breeze locally, and it is indeed pretty. Haven't seen the others locally, but it's early yet. They are gorgeous. I had been thinking of planting, say, 5 of one particular red, then 4 of one particular orange in front of them, but maybe that's too boring and I should have 5 different reds, and 4 different oranges. (And that's assuming I have room for that many.) But what about yellow, and pink, and combinations. What fun! All suggestions welcome.
Susan
Those would work, but you should add a couple of cool colored ones in there to balance it out. Like a couple of blues or white maybe.
Stick around here for a while and you will want every variety out there. :-)))
Yes, you're probably right. That tends to be my gardening style anyway. I figure 5 reds in the back row, then 4 oranges and pink/oranges, then on the left in front maybe one or two others.
I've seen Indian Chief at a couple of nurseries; does anyone have experience with that one?
Is there a difference between doubles and singles in terms of bloom abundance and frequency?
My full doubles bloom less in the heat of summer but the semi doubles seem to do fine. Perhaps that is just the varieties I have. Some plants definitely bloom more than others; maybe we need a new thread on the ones that are constantly in bloom. Itsy Bitsy, a small flowered brilliant red, is a non stop bloomer for me.
Very close to the hibiscus bed there is a wild olive tree, which has white blossoms. On that side of the yard I'm going with complementary colors, whereas on the other there will be more of contrasting colors.
So on the hibiscus side, red/orange/peach, with the white wild olive tree, with some purple fountain grass and a bit of liriope. That may not be enough to "cool" things down, though. We'll see.
On the other side of the yard, the bed there is to have duranta, plumbago, butterfly weed, mexican bush sage, bulbine, mexican honeysuckle - so blue/purple contrasting with orange/yellow.
I am trying, not very successfully, to resist the "I'll have one of everything" mode. LOL!
Good luck on the 'I want one of each' mode. It's hard to resist.
Largo breeze can be picked up in most nurseries
same with orange lagos
Those are really gorgeous! I'll keep a lookout.
OK, you asked for it: my anti tropicals soapbox, lol. I went insane 2 years ago buying lots of the beautiful tropicals and guess what: I lost most of them to an unexpected freeze in early spring 2007. I was heartbroken and swore them off. I bought some hardies, Blue River a white, and Pam's Pink. wow, they put quite a show last year and still give you the tropical look. Right now I am trying to root a Hamabo, which is a hardy pastel yellow. My paradise would be complete with a peach/orange, but I don't think it exists.
I do have tropicals left: a double orange (Orange Key), Rachel, and the whatever double red, HD special. They have survived, so I have found a little forgiveness in my heart for the tropicals. But I won't sink any more $ in the tropicals, no matter how much you all tempt me w/ these scrumptious pics.
decklife -
I'm late getting to this thread but if you're still in search of an orange/peach hardy, I have one for you. It's actually a tropical, but it performs much like a hardy in my zone (same as yours?). I didn't give it any extra care at all, no blankets or wraps or heat this winter and it kept all of it's leaves. Even through 30 mph winds on days when the temps were in the high 30s/lower 40s. It also makes a beautiful, upright bush. I purchased mine from a Houston Garden Center for about $10 in a 1 gallon pot last spring and planted it right away in the ground. Now, 1 year later, it's about 5 1/2 feet tall and very full (would be taller if I hadn't trimmed it back twice last year). I acutally have two of these and they both performed this way.
I planted mine with 2 Brilliant (a vibrant red color) and had a friend from Florida visit this December. She was floored by all the blooms while walking up to my front door in December. She's not much of a gardener or otherwise I'm sure she would have seen some of that in Florida too, but these 2 have performed excellently for me.
Amanda, do you know the name of your "hardy" tropical? I am wondering if I'm going to have to cover my tropicals. The winds here do get fierce. Vossner, I am delighted to hear about your success with the hardies. I am hoping I'll see some in the nurseries later on because I'd love to have some. When I've asked about them, people tend to scrunch up their faces and say why do hardy when you can do tropical.
Vossner it sounds like to me you were really never hooked and that might be a good thing. If you really have the diease it doesn't matter how many freezes you have or how many you lose you just keep coming back for more. It's like you never learn as I have lost unknown amounts to freak late season cold fronts and many other things and yet all it takes is seeing one beautiful bloom and I'm in up to my neck in hibiscus once again and loveing it. Take care...................Gene
gene! we're practically neighbors and yes, you're right. Hibbies were a "secondary" obsession (but obsession nonetheless...)
Well Hi Neighbor let me know if I can answer questions for you I'm by means no whiz but if I don't know I do know some mighty Smart people.................Gene
Now Nery, hibs don't get blackspot. LOL
decklife -
Sorry about that! Guess I left that important detail out! It's Cairo Peach. It's a peach colored hibisus with a maroon throat that has shimmering veins (they glisten when the sun hits them just right). Very pretty, I think there's a PF on here somewhere about it. This one appears to be a very close relative: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/161262/
I'm attaching a few pics of mine for you ...
Oh my goodness, that Cairo Peach is a pretty one. I'll keep an eye out for it.
:) Or if you know how to root hibiscus cuttings (I'm not very good at it) then I'll send you some cuttings. Just D-mail me your address.
That is a very nice offer, but I am positive it would be a waste of time and effort. I am very very new to gardening, plus I've had zero success trying to root any woody cuttings.
Me too. We're in the same boat. :)
Decklife and Amanda,
It is not very hard to root hibiscus.Please try one more method.Heres a link showing an easy way to do it. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3868525
Lately I've been using Dip n Grow rooting hormone with alot of success.
Good luck,
Dave