Hardy Hibiscus, Rose Mallow, Swamp Mallow 'Moy Grande'

Moy Grande ranks at the top of the selections for me. I like the foliage/stem color and the big nicely colored flowers. The foliage also...Read More has nice substance and a shape I appreciate. The first flowers of the season open bigger than in following flushes. I have not had as good repeat with this cultivar as with the red Lord Baltimore. Lord Baltimore blooms earlier and continuously whereas my Moy Grande bloomed for 3 weeks then seemed to take a break. I like this plant a lot but have decided to remove it in place of more japanese beetle resistant plants. The beetles love perennial hibiscus flowers/leaves and are active the same periods this thing is in flower.

Several years ago, Dr. Jerry Parsons, Extension Horticulturist located in San Antonio, released a new giant rose mallow named 'Moy Grande...Read More' from the San Antonio Botanical Garden. 'Moy Grande' has huge flowers of dark rosy pink. Best availability is in the San Antonio area

I'm growing three of these guys and I'm very pleased. They put on flowers the first year from seed, fairly early in the season and they'r...Read Moree still free flowering even it's starting to get cold, I expect flowers up until frost.

The flowers are HUGE, I measured one at 9" today. The over all plant has a nice round shape. I can't comment on the hardiness but will try to update next spring if they make it through the winter.

Update 2008: These plants are very hardy in my zone 7. They're a bit slow to come up in the spring but the wait is worth it. I've found out that if I want to get to enjoy the plants at all, I have to spray it or they get utterly destroyed by Hibiscus Sawfly larvae. Also, since the time my plants turned 2 or 3, they lean drastically, despite whether it's been a dry or wet year. Next year I plan on staking them.

I have three of these plants and they have done very well in central Texas (Zone 8). They grow in full sun with very little care and the...Read More blooms on them are at least 15 inches across. They are very large plants - one of mine is over 5 feet tall and wide. I highly recommend them - everyone who sees mine says "I have to get one of those!"