# Hibiscus



## Yvonne G (Aug 9, 2010)

There's a nursery between my house and town, that I have to drive by every trip I make into town. They usually have a humorous saying on their marquee, and last time I drove by they said something about dinner-plate sized hibiscus. Naturally, I had to stop. I bought two hardy hibiscus plants, one pink and one red. I had planned to plant them in the Aldabran pen. So, here's the pink one...








I know...I know...it doesn't look like much...but did I mention that its planted IN the Aldabran pen?






It has a bud about ready to open. So far the tortoises haven't discovered something new. Hopefully they won't be able to get to the plant!


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## spikethebest (Aug 9, 2010)

luv the pics. its been a while since ive seen a lot of pics recently of your place. how are all the rose of sharon plants doing? i remember they were all hibernating for the winter time.


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## Yvonne G (Aug 9, 2010)

Funny you should ask...


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## Jacqui (Aug 9, 2010)

Will be interesting to see what they do with it. My guys have not even wanted to eat the blooms, of course I haven't given them to the eating machines yet...aka the sulcatas. 

I love the just huge size the hardy's blooms get, but that long wait for them to come up every years always gets to me. It seems as soon as I decide they just didn't survive the winter, they finally will come up.


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## Isa (Aug 11, 2010)

I am surer the flowers are going to be beautiful, but I do not think they will last long after your tortoises see them lol.
Yvonne, where you live what is the lowest temp during the winter? Do you have to remove the hibiscus during the winter and bring them inside, or you can just leave them outside?


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## Yvonne G (Aug 11, 2010)

No, the hardy hibiscus (the one with the dinner-plate sized flowers) dies back during the winter, but comes back in the spring. The tropical hibiscus won't grow here, but the hardy does.


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## pebblelu (Sep 6, 2010)

I know this might sound stupid, but how do you tell the difference between the hardy and the tropical?
the reason I asked is because I bought a couple plants and just assumed they were tropical. I didn't know there were 2 different types.

Jackie


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## NEtorts (Sep 6, 2010)

I live in New england and I grow the tropical hibiscus for my torts and i have to bring them in in the fall and put them back out in spring. i have heard of these "hardy" hibiscus with the huge flowers but have not seen them around for sale. do you think the hardy hibiscus put out as many flowers as the tropical. i know my tropicals will put out 8-10 flowers EVERY day for about a month in early summer then do it again in late summer... they are in pots about 16" round the torts love them!! if i could get my hands on a hardy hibiscus that had that big of flowers that would be fantastic but i asume with that big of a flower it will be less fruitfull......none the less i will look for some.


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## Cfr200 (Sep 6, 2010)

"Rose of Sharon" (Althaea, hardy hibiscus) can be grown in zones 5-8. I live in Springfield, Mo and have seen temps go as low as -10F and this stuff survived without any problems. It grows like mad and produces large abundant flowers, some of my neighbors complain they can not get rid of it. Once it get a foothold it seems pretty indestructible.


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## Maggie Cummings (Sep 6, 2010)

I live in Oregon where it freezes for long periods and snows and my Rose of Sharon blooms beautifully every year. It even keeps it's leaves thru the winter.


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## terryo (Sep 6, 2010)

The difference in the hardy hibiscus and the tropical hibiscus, seems to be the leaves. The hardy one has light green leaves, and the tropical one has dark green leaves.

This is the hardy one. It comes up every Spring










This is the tropical one. I have to take it in by the Fall, and then cut it down in the Spring when I take it outside again.





The Rose of Sharon is hardy, and in the Fall it drops loads of seeds, and then in the Spring, the little one's are all over my yard, even coming up in the cracks of the pavers. Pio loves all those little sprouts.


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## webskipper (Sep 6, 2010)

My neighbor is growing theirs in 5 gallon buckets. They give me the clippings and the Torts relish them.


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## dmmj (Sep 6, 2010)

I must be spoiled living in CA, I see people saying mine dies in the winter, and I am like " What's winter?"


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## pebblelu (Sep 6, 2010)

Thanks every one. I have the tropical.
When I get the chance I'm going to look for the rose of sharon.
I'm in zone 7 (i think) so they should grow here.


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## Becki (Sep 6, 2010)

Rose of Sharon is also very drought-tolerant once it's established. I live in New Mexico and it gives beautiful color all summer and doesn't require any care at all. I can't get my tortoise to eat it, but oh well!


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## Angi (Sep 6, 2010)

I have lots of Hibiscus, but only the bright pink do really well. The white are doing okay, but I love the yellows, reds, orange, peach etc... Do some need shade? mine are all in full sun.


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## Itort (Sep 7, 2010)

In Iowa where I live (zone 5) both Rose of Sharon (H. syriacus) and Rose Mallow (H. moscheutos), which I call hardy Hibiscus, grow well. The Hardy will die back every winter and comes back from the roots in the spring while Rose of Sharon forms a bush and comes back from the wood. I also keep Tropical bringing in as houseplant in winter.






























R


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## Madortoise (Sep 8, 2010)

I bought the red one but not sure what kind it is. Penelope only eats the red one not yellow, not pink, not white...I've not come across rose of sharon near my house. I'd like to see if she'll have that.


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