Hibiscus Species, Swamp Hibiscus, Scarlet Rose Mallow, Texas Star, Scarlet Hibiscus

On May 30, 2016, mfajman wrote:

Very easy plant to grow. Last year I had 2 plants in normal draining pots. This year I transplanted them to 5 gallon buckets without drainage holes. I buried the pots in the ground. Now I can keep them wet constantly. One is almost 7' in May. Plenty of buds getting ready. I didn't have a pond to put them in so this is the next best thing.

On Jan 7, 2016, BilliesBloomers from Climax, NC wrote:

It's definitely a "WOW." It's a great addition to any 'tropical themed' design for sure. I plant ours with a variety of canna lilies to achieve this affect. Ours are in a clay soil near the porch roof line - the water runoff was plenty (even with a pretty long drought) to get 5-6ft tall plants from seed the first year that had multiple blooms the size of my face. They were a stunning scarlet and the hummingbirds agreed. Very easy from seed, those left 1 gal pots grew to 3 ft but did not bloom this year, This may have been because they did receive less water than those that were planted out. I cannot wait to see how much bigger they are next year and in the years coming. If you've got a big space to fill- this is a great choice!

On Sep 7, 2013, wildernessjim from Locust Grove, VA wrote:

My fifth year! She is beautiful with wonderful red flowers. This is our best year. She is about ten feet tall and has had many many flowers. The past years have seen many police taking clippings because of the Marijuana like leaves. Even my father in law says it looks like the marijuana they grew for the government during World War II for the Hemp For Victory program. When she flowers they look nothing like Cannabis flowers. Too bad. I'd love to smoke those flowers for my Glaucoma. Fortunately no one has cut down my plants.

On Apr 19, 2012, Greenwilly from Anderson, SC wrote:

This is my first time of growing this plant. I received a plant from my wife's friend in the early fall of last year. I planted it just about the time it was going to seed. I collected the seeds and stored them through the winter. I cut the stalks of the plant down to about 4 inches from the ground in late to mid-January this year. I planted the seeds in several containers in mid-March. They all came up. I have now transferred the small seedlings from their cup containers to larger pots. I used a mixture of mulch, topsoil and a small amount of blood meal mixed into the soil and mulch.They seem to be taking off in the larger pots. I will probably transfer them permanently into the ground in mid to late May. Oh by the way, the original plant that I received last fall is now coming back. I ... read morenoticed two small green shoots right next to the dead stalk of the plant.

On Apr 6, 2012, irishboiler from Fort Wayne, IN wrote:

I bought my hibiscus coccineus early last summer and planted it near my pond. In early winter I poured one bag of mulch over the base of the plant. I am thrilled to see strong growth this spring on the plant being that I am in zone 5b and the plant is only supposed to be hardy to zone 6. That being said it was a mild winter. Regardless it is a beautiful plant.

On Feb 4, 2011, xoMissi from Naples, FL wrote:

I absolutely LOVE this plant! I collected seed pods from native wild plants growing in the swampland down here in Southwest Florida. They've sprouted & have just taken off! I treasure them, indeed!

Beware: Even the smallest of young plants will go dormant in winter, but grow back with gusto!

Remember to keep this plant wet, wet, wet! The wetter, the better! Dry will harm it.

On Aug 12, 2010, ATL_Hibiscus from Tucker, GA wrote:

This plant gets bigger and has more blooms every year. It has spread and grown so well since the first planting 4-5 years ago that I had to cut it back substantially during the blooming season this year. I normally cut it back to the ground around Halloween. Flowers bloom in June. I do very little upkeep and it thrives. It gets full sun and mostly rainwater here in Atlanta. I don't fertilize. I haven't covered it during the winter freezes. I spray for bugs when I notice the leaves are holey. The blooms are the size of dinner plates and very impressive. I have 2 kinds planted--one blooms a deep red and the other a dark pink.

On Oct 30, 2009, sseiber6 from West End, NC (Zone 7b) wrote:

I got this plant as a gift last year, and was terribly disappointed when it "died" in the Fall. Imagine my disbelief, when I saw the green coming up, the following Spring. I see other comments here, that say their plants stay and grow. Mine gets about 4'-5' tall, and is very pretty. I just wish it would not die down completely. My son, who gave me the plant, has one of his own and it does the same thing. The leaves, turn with the trees, and have very attractive coloring. I did not water, except occasionally, during the hottest part of the year.

On Jul 8, 2009, RebeccaLynn from Winston Salem, NC (Zone 7a) wrote:

When I was a young child in 1951, my family vacationed in southern Florida. We saw these tall, stalky plants with brilliant red flowers. They were growling wild on the sides of the roads. My mother had to have some. My dad pulled up a handful, and we took them back home to Charlotte, North Carolina. He planted them at the corners of our new house around front. My parents left their home for a retirement community in 2000. Over the nearly fifty years those beautiful tall flowers had spread all around the foundation of their home and were absolutely stunning when in bloom every year. Many people stopped to ask what they were.
Beckylynn

On Oct 3, 2008, klstuart from Simpsonville, SC (Zone 7b) wrote:

Zone 7b - This is a great, super low-maintenance plant. I have it in full sun, hard clay soil, no watering system nearly 10 years ago. It grew rapidly, blooms heavily every year even in drought, and I almost never water it!

On Aug 25, 2008, Estepona from Estepona,
Spain (Zone 10a) wrote:

I have two big plants. They live on grey water from the house (all my sinks and washbasins drain into one pipe for use in the garden, and the lavatories, bidets etc drain into a septic tank).


They are in constant water, full sun and have reached about 9 feet with plenty of side shoots producing great flowers.

I normally cut back half the stems when they are about 2 feet high, otherwise they look rather ragged. This allows about 5 stems to reach full height and the others bush out below them to fill in the space.

A definate winner if you have plenty of water and space.

I did grow a couple of these plants in pots, but they never looked as spectacular as in the ground.

On Jul 25, 2008, holmboy from Texas City, TX wrote:

My law enforcement buddies saw this plant and nearly went beserk as it appears to be of the hemp family.
Unfortunately,my mother plant grew weell until this June when it suddenly started to whither on both stalks(about 3ft high) She had plenty of water and was not root bound in her pot. I soaked her in fungicide as recommended by the hibiscus folks and then took the plant out of the pot and soaked the root ball. in C triple action 20(5% mix). I replanted and hope for the best.
BUT, the seeds she produced are growing rapidly and well. I just wonder if any one else has had a spot of this sudden droop and rot?

On Jun 24, 2007, Cheiri from Tarpon Springs, FL (Zone 9b) wrote:

My plants are growing at my pond edge. When the summer rains come, the pond level will be lapping at their feet. That's OK - they are perfectly happy growing in water up to 18". In the winter, they die back despite our moderate winter temperatures in Florida. Once Spring arrives, they begin to push up from the earth to begin blooming in late June. They will continue blooming their hearts out all summer and fall. I waited this year until they were approx. 12-16" high and then I cut them back to encourage branching which results in more flowers. I put the thicker stem cuttings into the wet sand where they would get some shade and they rooted quickly. Then I transplanted them to sunny locations.

Over the winter, I started 100 plants from seed. They are very easy to start from ... read moreseed if you barely cover the seeds with soil and keep it moist. I started them in late November and put them out in the sun as soon as they had 4 permanent leaves. When the outdoor temps got down to 50 degrees or less, I brought them inside. Fortunately, the Florida winters are mild and I was usually able to get them back outdoors the next day and we didn't have too many cold nights. Keep them slightly moist and in the sun to produce strong plants.

On Jun 4, 2006, faykoko from Cross Lanes, WV (Zone 6b) wrote:

beautiful flowers and foliage, dies back to the ground here and late ti rise in the spring -mid May

On Oct 16, 2005, mandikat from Virginia Beach, VA (Zone 7b) wrote:

Because I have a wildlife habitat- I tried this plant in my bog garden first and the next year I planted the harvested seeds in a pot for one of my regular ponds. It has done so well (both over-wintered outside) that I tried some seeds in regular soil by a dead tree used for bird feeding. The plants are all blooming beautifully in all locations and seem happy. This years seeds will be given out as little extras in Christmas cards to friends.

On Sep 3, 2005, Tantric11 from Indian Trail, NC wrote:

We have planted these as a border against a fence. They are at least six feet tall at this point. I love the flower even though it only blooms for 1 day.

On Jun 14, 2004, msflash from Yantis, TX wrote:

This can grow into a very large plant. My cousin in Ms has one so large it covers the storage shed- and gets lovelier every year. I broght a very small seedling home to East Texas 3 years ago, and every year it gets more beautiful. One of the nursery men told me it is called the Confederate Texas Star--guess because the leaves have 5 points like the lone star of texas-

On Oct 3, 2003, wanda0810 from Ashville, OH (Zone 5b) wrote:

I live in Ohio (U.S.); Zone 5. I planted one of these plants last year not knowing what it was, I got really lucky to end up with such a pretty flower. It is at least six foot tall with blooms all the way down the plant. Any one who has the chance to have one of these flowers should get it - I love this plant.

On Jul 21, 2003, LittleShima from Tucson, AZ (Zone 9b) wrote:

I have 4 hibiscus trees. Two are blue also called rose of sharon. These have a different leaf, sort of like a leaf of a mosquito bush. The other is a double yellow and the last is called a lipstick hisbiscus. They grow beautifully and here in Tucson they are easily purchased at any nursery in April.The three bushes I have are a red, an orange with red throats, and a yellow with red throats. They seem do do better in full sun but with our heat they do get stressed. I prune them down about 2/3s and they come right back. I also leave only 2 buds on each branch so the flowers will be bigger.I have learned however that you have to be carefull not to overwater these as the leaves will yellow and start to fall as will the buds.

On Apr 23, 2003, Azalea from Jonesboro, GA (Zone 7b) wrote:

Another common name is Swamp Hibiscus, I thought by the name it would need a shady damp place. I planted one in shade and one with part sun - the one in more sun had many more blooms and grows more rapidly. I gave my neighbor a small one and his was planted in full sun, it was full of blooms when mine only had one or tow blooms at a time.

On May 29, 2002, rmarkham from Morehead City, NC wrote:

I have had this plant for two years now and each year it is more beautifl than the last. It loves to be packed with other plants. I take the seeds from the pods when the pods begin to open and have started several plants that way. It seems like the plant needs a couple years to bloom. I planted two seeds last year and they have come up, but very slow. The parent plant is almost 5 feet tall now, while the new plants are only 2 feet tall. I will try to keep you abreast of the growth. I live on the coast in NC.

On Sep 5, 2001, Floridian from Lutz, FL (Zone 9b) wrote:

This plant has many common names including Texas Star, Scarlet Hibiscus and Swamp Mallow