The 'Swamp Mallows' of the USA are a group of incredibly beautiful plants with masses of huge flowers up to 11 inches across. There are ...Read Moremany similar species and countless cultivars, ranging from white, pink to bright red, some with dark centres.
As these plants are so hardy and like moist soil, I thought they would be successful in Britain, but our cool, dull summers do not suit them. My plants took all summer to reach flowering size, and I got one (11 inch) flower before the Autumn rain turned the other flower buds to mush.
I will have to try some of the very short varieties - they might reach flowering size earlier.
Definitely worth any amount of effort to grow them - I so envy the Americans and their hot summers!
one thing that i have found out is to keep fertilizing with a 15-5-10 every 2 weeks to keep the buds coming...will keep blooming from jun...Read Moree thru october
I've had "Southern Belle" for about 2 years now. I protect the roots in winter with a good mulch of hay. The plant always dies back to ...Read Morethe root crown with freezing temperatures, but returns with vigor each Spring when the temperatures are consistently warm. The dinner plate-sized blooms always draw attention and much admiration. This hibiscus seems to have a shorter blooming cycle than most other hibiscus, but it is certainly stunning when in flower.
This is an amazing plant that literally stops traffic in our yard. Though it is listed as needing moist soil, it has not suffered in our...Read More yard of sandy soil that does dry out between rain and supplemental waterings. The verocity with which it bursts from the ground reminds me of Jack's beanstalk, or maybe the "Little Shop of Horrors" plant.
Update 1 yr later: This plant is out of control! My 3 yr old clumps sent up over 50 stems each this year. I thinned them out and pruned it but the plant still got over 6 ft tall and 6 ft wide this year. Now it is stopping traffic literally because its blocking the view of traffic at my street corner. I just pruned it severely again, and will probably move it to the alley this fall. It also sets fruit like crazy and I cannot keep up with the dead-heading it requires.
Seed is easy to germanate and plant is reletivily easy to grow. Blooms freely under most conditions and holds good. strong alkaly lessens...Read More stamina and may effect winter-over. grow in bog or moist location. Not recomended for in pond gardening. In colder areas prevent the root ball from freezing. Top growth die off does not effect next years top growth. May be grown as an anual in very cold areas if started in fall and grown thru the winter.
The 'Swamp Mallows' of the USA are a group of incredibly beautiful plants with masses of huge flowers up to 11 inches across. There are ...Read More
one thing that i have found out is to keep fertilizing with a 15-5-10 every 2 weeks to keep the buds coming...will keep blooming from jun...Read More
I've had "Southern Belle" for about 2 years now. I protect the roots in winter with a good mulch of hay. The plant always dies back to ...Read More
This is an amazing plant that literally stops traffic in our yard. Though it is listed as needing moist soil, it has not suffered in our...Read More
Seed is easy to germanate and plant is reletivily easy to grow. Blooms freely under most conditions and holds good. strong alkaly lessens...Read More