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IrishBlonde · #1 (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 01:49 PM

This is the first day of blooms for my dinner plate Hibiscus

It is 7ft tall and about 6ft wide. Tomorrow it will have blooms all over and be beautiful! the blooms are about 17 inches .

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This plant stops all cars on our road. They come up my driveway and want to know what it is and can they have starts.

I have seeds now germanting and started a few starts this spring. I want my yard filled with this .

ana21 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 01:55 PM

Omigosh, that is gorgeous. Tell us about how you grow it. Sun, shade, how old is that plant, how big does it get, where did you get the original plant, do you deadhead it, how long does it bloom?

My passion is (are?) hydrangea but that would give them some competition in my garden.

Thanks for posting!

Where in Ohio do you live -- my sister is in the NE and wondering if weather is similar. I think she would love one in her yard.

janenga · #3 (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 02:29 PM

Wow, Irish, that is gorgeous!! I have two of these in my yard (one white, one pink) and they are about ready to bloom. I look forward to those blooming every year.

IrishBlonde · #4 (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 02:42 PM

My plant is about 4 years old. It get all day sun, totally all day. they love their feet wet, so I water it all the time. I have a few more growing, I love this plant. My hubby works for the city here and he knows all the yards and streets and has never seen one anywhere! MY LUCK!

I am near Pittsburgh . Steubenville, ohio.

I dont deadhead at all. I wait until the blooms are spent and dried and grab the seeds for the winter to germanate. In the fall I cut to about 2 ft , and let it go, the spring I cut to the ground.

It isnt suppose to get this big, I think actually they are only suppose to get about 5 ft. I think mine loves the spot it is in. I cant wait for spring, so I can grab more starts . I will post more picts as the summer goes on and when it is starting to seed.

I have tons of Hydrangeas also and they are doing just as well. I spend alot of my time in my yard. I have over 4 dozen different perennials along with my Koi pond.

Thanks everyone!

foryoubabyblue · #5 (**permalink**) 08-07-2008, 07:51 PM

That doesn't even look real! I know I want some sort of hibiscus where one of our plants died, but I'd never seen that one before. We have a blue hibiscus (not actually a hibiscus, but similar looking) in the front yard that's a huge bush, but the flowers are standard size.

ana21 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-08-2008, 09:03 AM

Thanks again for posting about this plant and answering all my questions. Just a gorgeous plant and new to my plant want list as I was under the mistaken impression that hibiscus would only do well in the south.

IrishBlonde · #7 (**permalink**) 08-08-2008, 11:33 AM

Actually for most zones, the Hibiscus is great. You just have to mulch over real well in the fall so it is covered for winter. this is a hardy Hibiscus , I do have some tropicals on my deck which are always in full bloom until I bring them in the house for the winter. The way I can tell the difference is the hardy's have duller leaf, and the tropical have a shiny leaf. Lowe's tried to sell me a tropical for a Hardy, I told her she was WRONG, made her look it up and YES,,,,, I was right! I dont think she liked me telling her about them. ( she was the plant manager). lol

I just started more seeds on my deck 3 days ago and I already have sprouts. Not sure how long they will live, but Im crossing my fingers.
I cant take any starts yet from my big plant, every branch has blooms waiting or are already in bloom. Today I have about 10 more blooms. The downside is the blooms only last for a day .

bwhite1 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-10-2008, 08:52 PM

Irish - I have the same plant. Actually, I have four of them. I have people stop by all the time too. A woman stopped by yesterday and said she has been trying to find the pink hibiscus everywhere. One of the nurseries here in town told her that its consider an antique plant and is very rare. They can't locate any for the nursery.

She wanted to know if she can take some starts, but I don't have the first clue how to do that. I'm more of a brown thumb than a green thumb, but these plants have always grown wonderfully.

Can you help me? First, how do I take a start or seeds? Second, is there anything special I should be doing for these plants? I'm in Nevada, so I have a drip system, but I haven't done anything else. Is there a fertilizer or plant food I should add?

IrishBlonde · #9 (**permalink**) 08-11-2008, 05:51 AM

bwhite1,
The best time to take starts is in the spring, when the shoots start comming up from the previous year. Here is a pict of seeds pods ready to be picked and dried. Just keep them in a cool place until ready to plant. I do nothing special,. just water alot . I have it planted in sandy soil, Maybe it likes that? I do fertilize once or twice in the spring, but that is all.

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Chelmo · #10 (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 06:37 AM

Irish -

That hibiscus is gorgeous! I have tropical hibiscus that I put outside every summer. I wish I had hearty, outdoor hibiscus.

Do you trade seeds? IF so, plmk, and let's try to work xomething out.

ana21 · #11 (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 09:34 AM

There is a seller on ebay selling seeds for those who are looking. Also, my sister in Ohio found some potted plants at her local nursery - she got a white and think 2 lighter pinks.

Thanks again Irish for sharing!

ItsJustMe · #12 (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 03:43 PM

I just bought my first hibiscus (orange) a few days ago and I want to get more.Home Depot has them for $10. When is a good time to plant them in the ground? We hope to be moving in a month, is that too long to wait, is it too close to winter to plant? We will still be in So. Cal. so it never gets too cold (30 at night in the winter).

I want to plant all kids of tropical plants around my yard when we get our house. I want the back yard to look like a vacation spot in the summer. Any suggestions? I love the tropical look. We have 4 queen palms in pots until we move too.

ItsJustMe · #13 (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 03:46 PM

One more question... Do they attract bees?

allinaugust · #14 (**permalink**) 08-19-2008, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ana21

Omigosh, that is gorgeous. Tell us about how you grow it. Sun, shade, how old is that plant, how big does it get, where did you get the original plant, do you deadhead it, how long does it bloom?

My passion is (are?) hydrangea but that would give them some competition in my garden.

Thanks for posting!

Where in Ohio do you live -- my sister is in the NE and wondering if weather is similar. I think she would love one in her yard.

I came across this person's blog, looks like she is in Cleveland, OH.

‘Dey As Big As You Head: Dinner Plate Hibiscus

I will be on the lookout for this, my SMIL would LOVE this!!!

ana21 · #15 (**permalink**) 08-23-2008, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allinaugust

I came across this person's blog, looks like she is in Cleveland, OH.

‘Dey As Big As You Head: Dinner Plate Hibiscus

I will be on the lookout for this, my SMIL would LOVE this!!!

Thanks so much for posting that blog -- so funny. Sent the link to my sister. Good luck finding some for your SMIL!!