"Ted" wrote in message
ups.com...
A couple weeks ago, I found at Home Depot, and bought, what they called
a "Rose of Sharon". It didn't look like any rose I've ever seen.
Instead its flowers looked like small, about 6 or 7 cm across (or about
2.5 inches), hibiscus flowers. Their horticulturalist said it is
winter hardy here (just a two hour highway drive north of Toronto
Ontario Canada), but that it tends to be a bit tender here.
(suggestions on protecting it, if in fact it is hardy here, would be
appreciated)

Today, I saw some plants, labelled as hibiscus at a grocery, and the
card that came with the plants from the store's suppliers says it is
hardy to USDA zone 5 (which I think includes us here). I thought
hibiscus were strictly tropical, and that the "rose of Sharon" I bought
might be a temperate cousin (smaller, hibiscus-like flowers on shrubby
stems). But the "hibiscus" I saw today looked to be as large and
colourful as those tropicals I'd seen at real garden centres, but on
stems that seemed as delicate as the stems of my begonias, with no
trace of wood. The card from the supplier said it would die down over
winter and start new growth in May, and then bloom until first frost.
While the flowers were as large as the tropical hibiscus I'd seen, they
didn't seem to have as much substance (a more papery look), but I don't
know if that is damage from the excessive heat we've had this summer.
My irises and lilies gave a less than adequate display this year
because of the heat. The card with them also said they'd stay small,
two thirds of a metre to a metre tall at most.

Anyway, is there really a hibiscus species or hybrid that is winter
hardy in a cool temperate region with such delicate stems? Or are these
plants certain to die like annuals here?

Can anyone shed light on this?

Thanks,

Ted


OK Ted, Rose of Sharon will survive in Zone 5 - I'm in Central IL and mine
do well with no form of protection. Do yours have more of a woody stalk?
You're right, the flowers do look like small hibiscus and in no way resemble
roses.

The hibiscus you saw at the grocery could very likely be hardy to Zone 5.
Were the leaves on the plant fairly large compared to tropical leaves and
dull in appearance? If so, that is hardy. Tropical hibiscus leaves are
totally different in appearance, they are are much shinier. I have what I
call a "dinner plate" hibiscus which is hardy and the blooms are easily 10"
in diameter (none of my tropicals ever get that large).

All of my hibiscus, whether hardy or tropical thrive in full sun with plenty
of food and water.

Cheryl