Growing Hibiscus in the D.C. area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nursery employee here in DMV.

Buy and plant in a pot that you intend to throw out on October 1 or move indoors to a sunny spot. It won't flower inside (unless your house is 80+degrees every day) but it will survive. Then you can bring outdoors next June.

You're a nursery employee and you don't know to tell OP to simply buy a variety that is hardy in zone 7 (the local zone)? OP such varieties can be bought online as 2 year old plant. Plant them in a south facing spot close to your home to give it warm. Mulch lightly before the first frost next winter.

These are two different plants - the hardy perennial and the tropical.

I was assuming the op was asking about the warm-weather plant's chances here, since she didn't say one way or the other. Maybe she'll come back. Anyway, hardy is nice enough but not really the same appearance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you know that hibiscus flowers are like chocolate to sloths? I just happened to learn that this morning while showing a video on YouTube to my children of baby sloths being given a bath. (After their baths, the caretakers hang them on a set of monkey bars to "drip dry." Too cute.)

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. . .

You I like. (Not a fan of prissy pants who chewed out nursery worker.)

OP, try this:
http://www.chesapeakenatives.org/Chesapeake_Natives/Hibiscus_moscheutos_Swamp_Rose_Mallow.html

[Anonymous]

I've seen HUGE dinner plate sized hibiscus in NW DC. What variety are these? They are beautiful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've seen HUGE dinner plate sized hibiscus in NW DC. What variety are these? They are beautiful.

My guess is that's the perennial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've seen HUGE dinner plate sized hibiscus in NW DC. What variety are these? They are beautiful.

It's native hibiscus, also known as swamp mallow. You can grow them from seed, it will take a season or two to get blooms.

[Anonymous]

The hibiscus breed used to make “sorrell” has small spiny flowers and is hibiscus safdariffa

[Anonymous]

I have a hibiscus that has been indoors for at least a year. It is fine but never flowered. Can I move it outside now, or will the sudden extreme heat and sunlight be too much for it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a hibiscus that has been indoors for at least a year. It is fine but never flowered. Can I move it outside now, or will the sudden extreme heat and sunlight be too much for it?

If it is a tropical hibiscus you should have put it outside as soon as the last frost was over. Place it in a partly shady spot and keep it well watered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen HUGE dinner plate sized hibiscus in NW DC. What variety are these? They are beautiful.

It's native hibiscus, also known as swamp mallow. You can grow them from seed, it will take a season or two to get blooms.

+1 Get the native swamp rose mallow.
Preferably the straight species, not a cultivar.

For a variety of reasons, do not get a tropical hibiscus or Rose of Sharon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a hardy hibiscus planted outside that comes up every year (then it dies off/gets cut back in the fall).

This. And they propagate so I used to dig them up in the fall, split them, and replant them around the yard. What I didn't take into account is how high they get, then eventually fall over. They have very thick stalks, and giant red flowers. Not sure the variety. But after a few years I got sick of them all together and pulled them all out. I am partial to low plantings anyway.

[Anonymous]

DC's plant hardiness zone is 7a, which means plants suitable for zones 7-13 would easily survive. Many types of Hibiscus does well here. You can check when you buy or order from online nurseries. If you go out you'll see lots of hibiscus, hydrangeas, roses and peonies.


https://www.livelyroot.com/blogs/plant-talk/which-plants-can-i-grow-in-washington-d-c

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of people we know who grow them keep them in pots outside in the summer and bring them indoors for the winter.

We did this. We put it in the garage over the winter. It's been really thriving this year!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a hibiscus that has been indoors for at least a year. It is fine but never flowered. Can I move it outside now, or will the sudden extreme heat and sunlight be too much for it?

Assuming it's tropical, it loves extreme heat and sunlight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huh, we have Rose of Sharon in our yard and it's never been a problem. Looks lovely once it blooms, and it handles the weather well (it was planted by previous owners and has survived our really cold as well as mild winters). Every so often extra shoots appear, but they're easy to prune back.

we have a Rose of Sharon (was there when we bought the house) and it's horrid, every year i find multiple llittle threes growing around the yard, even around the corner from the original plant. luckily it died a few years ago but dumb neighbor got a volunteer in her yard just next to our fence (i guess a baby of my plant) and did not pull it, so now we have again babies coming up all over. so maybe you have a different type, but the one i had (which was hardy and in the ground) spreaded like a weed all over the place inclucing into the yards of my two neighbors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huh, we have Rose of Sharon in our yard and it's never been a problem. Looks lovely once it blooms, and it handles the weather well (it was planted by previous owners and has survived our really cold as well as mild winters). Every so often extra shoots appear, but they're easy to prune back.

This has been my experience, too. We have three Rose of Sharon bushes (they were here when we moved in) and they are thriving. We cut them back in the fall because they grow a lot each year. In five years, we’ve had no issues with them taking over the garden. The bumblebees and butterflies love them.