Hibiscus Midnight Marvel PP 24079

Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' is a 2012 release from our friends at Walters Gardens, which was the darkest purple foliage we'd seen on a hardy hibiscus to that point. Combine this amazing foliage with 8" wide, fire engine red flowers from June through September and you've got what we affectionately term a "wow" plant. This selection makes a 5'+ tall specimen that prefers moist soils but adapts well to all but the driest of garden conditions.

Maintenance:

Hardy hibiscus are a very low maintenance perennial provided they are growing in the proper conditions. When the plants go dormant in winter, the stalks remain upright and sturdy. We prefer to leave them to give birds a place to perch. The structure also helps the garden remain much more interesting in winter than a flat carpet of brown mulch.

Hibiscus sawfly is the #1 pest of most hibiscus, causing skeletonized leaves. These can be treated with a beneficial bacteria product like Dipel, which contains BT bacillus.

Growing Conditions:

Hibiscus grow naturally in standing shallow water, although they are quite drought tolerant for short period. The drier the soil, the more the plants will be stressed, which increases the severity of insect damage.

Garden Value:

Perennial hardy hibiscus add an upright garden form to the garden, as well as summer flowering when many spring perennials have finished flowering or gone dormant.Also, there are few plants with such a floral show that tolerates wet soil.

Natural Impacts:

Bees are the primarily pollinators of all of the herbaceous, hardy hibiscus.