Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City, USA

Common name: Hardy Hibiscus

Family: Malvaceae (Mallow Family)

Distribution: North America

Hardiness: 4a

Life form: Deciduous shrub/sub-shrub

Comments: This hardy hibiscus is a dwarf, shrubby, herbaceous perennial with upright, stiff stems, a partly woody base, and showy flowers. It blooms with dark-red flowers the size of salad plates. The flowers are short-lived but replaced continuously from mid summer to frost by new flowers from multiple clusters of buds. The plant is upright yet also broadly spreading and the flowers tend to face outward, with several fully open at a time. Plant this shrub in full sun in moist, well-drained soil. Avoid highly alkaline and dry soils.