Hi Gang does anyone out there know anything about hibuscus trees I brought mine in for the winter all the leaves are falling off , I took it out of the big pot it was in for outside so now its root bound so do you think I could put it in a bigger pot so it might do better ? Its kind of warm in here in winter ,were should it be ? I have it in front of a window , but there is a heat vent there , I dont want it to die!!! Thank you Margie
Hiyah Margie-- I have two Hibiscus trees and I leave them in the ground outside all winter long. They loose their leaves every year in the fall and new ones emerge at the end of the following spring. If you feel that it is necessary to bring yours inside, I would leave it in the pot that it has spent all summer in, give it a little chlorineless water through the bottom (in the dish that the container is sitting in)every 3-4 weeks during the winter. Further I would keep that tree in the coldest room in the house that has a window (for the light). They need cold and a dormant rest period like some other trees. In the spring you should transplant it into a slightly larger pot and place it outside when there is little chance of frost (around Mothers' Day). Good luck with your Hibiscus, and keep us posted on how it goes.
Is it a hardy Hibiscus or tropical Hibiscus? The tropical variety has shiny leaves where the hardy variety doesn't. You can also tell the difference by the color....hardy Hibiscus do not come in yellow, orange, peach, salmon and do not produce a double blossom. The Tropical Hibiscus does need to be taken in during the winter if your temps drop much below 40 degrees. It will loose it's leaves but will put out new growth in the late spring. Don't expect them to bloom year round or to keep their leaves year round, they need a rest period too. And they do need to be kept on the cool side in a bright location or under grow lights. Cooler temps will prevent pest problems later in winter. Tropical Hibiscus typically only has a life span of 4-5 years when kept in a pot, at which point if it doesn't leaf out then it is time to toss it in the compost bin and buy a new one. Don't repot until spring, their roots are easily damaged by being repotted too often. If it is a Hardy Hibiscus they are realiably hardy to zone 4 and can be left in the ground overwinter. They will die back like any other perennial and come back in late spring, just make sure to mulch them before it gets really cold.
Hi Margie, if you have a look at my garden photos you will see I have added a photo of my hibiscus tree. It is a hardy and I leave it out all winter and it gets bigger and better each year. However, as Toni says, if it is not a hardy one, you will have to bring it indoors for the winter.
HIBISCUS Hi Gardengirl, How do you tell which tree is which?I really dont know, I just hate to loose it, Right now I have it in the back bedroom, its cool and sunny back there,so I thought it would be a good place for it. I left one out one time and it died. so any info. would be appreciated. Thank You Margie
Just a thought... did you try 'googling' and see if there is a slight difference in the leaves or something that might tell you whether or not it is winter hardy. :-|
we also have a lot of hardy hibiscus trees in romania. they often form hedges around buildings. they make only white or light purple or pinkish-purple flowers. as i know... the hardy one is called siriacus. if you google, you will see a lot of pics. they are very hardy. right now, they are leafless and have a lot if dried seed pods on tip of branches. tropical ones, well the non-hardy ones... come in sooo many colors and varieties, flowers are normally much larger.
Re: HIBISCUS I agree with calinromania Margie. All I can say is the non-hardy ones I have seen have larger,deeper green leaves and usually larger flowers, very ornamental. I bought this one from Bakker Holland a few years ago, mail order, so knew it was a hardy one. I don't think you could train a non-hardy one to grow to a tree, but I may be wrong, usually are :-D Can you possibly post a photo of your one which could help more in identifying it?
time is required..! hey just nourish them with sufficient amount of water, once you remove it from the ground it takes time to adjust to the soil where you have planted..just wait..
