Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Hibiscus coccineus


As beautiful as this native is, the flower color really doesn't match anything in my garden. I used to have a stand of H. coccineus in the ditch near the old house site, where its roots were in heavy clay that was under water for much of the year. It performed beautifully, blooming from July until October or November. However, the flowers clashed so much with the nearby Joe Pye Weed and black-eyed susans that I took it out and divided it. Some of it got literally plunked into the pond in one of the floodway fields, and the rest were transferred to another ditch, next to where the house sits now as a matter of fact.

Although this plant is perfectly happy with its roots under water, its roots are very large and fleshy and can store a lot of food, so it's very adapatable. It even blooms very well with afternoon shade. I love how exotically tropical the flowers look.

19 comments:

  1. It sure is a pretty color. I've heard of it but don't grow it here.

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  2. What a beautiful flower - I love it!

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  3. I've not seen that type of H.--prolly not hardy here, but to be honest I like it a lot better than the huge-flowered ones. It's so different!

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  4. Hi Sweetbay

    Yep, it deserves a spot on its own.

    The blooms really have a tropical twang.

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  5. Hi SweetBay, I would never have known this was a hibiscus. The flower is different than the ones I commonly see and I didn't know there was a species that preferred swampy conditions. Interesting.
    Marnie

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  6. Monica this species is hardy to zone 6a. I bet you're in zone 5 though. I don't know if it'd make it up there. It doesn't even look like something that would be hardy in zone 6a does it?

    Marnie we have Hibiscus moscheutos growing wild in one of the sloughs down by the creek that's under water much of the year too. A lot of hibiscus around like Lord and Lady Balitmore are crosses of H. moscheutos with other species. The only hibiscus I know of that must have good drainage are Chinese hibiscus, Confederate Rose, and Pineland Hibiscus.

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  7. The one I had in a post last month is now over 11 feet tall! The hummingbirds love this bloom.

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  8. I love seeing flowers I have never seen before! This one is lovely.

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  9. I had a garden visitor last fall look twice at the foliage of my H. coccineus wondering just what I was growing in the backyard. I told him when it flowers it is easy to tell the difference.

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  10. Janet that is amazing! Mine tops out at about 7', but I have seen a super high stand of H. coccineus at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh. When they're that tall they make even more of a statement!

    Les, I've had people look at my seedlings in the quart pots and you could see them thinking, hmmm... lol

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  11. what a pretty hibiscus. never seen before. would search and see i can grow it here.

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  12. sweet bay - What a pretty flower. Sounds so wonderful to live in a place where you can refer to things like...ditch, old house site, pond, floodway fields. Sounds heavenly being out in the country.

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  13. Sometimes it's had not to be jealous of southern gardeners. I'd love to have some in my wild spaces.

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  14. Such a lovely colour! It do look exotic and somehow also reminds me of Clematis. Lucky you :)

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  15. It does look exotic. Beautiful color and flower. You took a great photo, too.

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  16. I've never heard of it. It sure is a pretty bloom!

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  17. I'm growing this from seed for the first time and the plants have not flowered yet. Looks like they like a lot of water which I had not realised. Must move them to a bigger pot to stop them drying out (they are not hardy here).

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  18. You make it sounds so easy ~ just plunk it in the dirt and here comes a gorgeous flower! I wish! It's a true beauty Sweet Bay and absolutely deserving of its own post.

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  19. Lovely bloom Sweet bay... great photo! I love the shadow on the petal! Simple and the color ... is this true to the actual blossom?... so often my camera gets it wrong. I love this flower! Sounds like it makes quite a show! You amaze me with the variety you have and it all looks so natural in your country setting... Carol

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