Tropical hibiscus flowers are dramatic, showy, and colorful, all great reasons to grow them in your garden. But what if you don’t have a lot of space for these big flowers? Or you don’t live in the right climate for hibiscus to thrive outdoors? The answer is container gardening.
Why Containers for Hibiscus?
Hibiscus is a gorgeous flowering plant, and in tropical and subtropical gardens, they make a great addition to beds. They also thrive in containers. If you have a smaller space, even just a balcony, you may want to put a hibiscus or two in pots to enjoy spring, summer, and fall color. If you live in a colder climate, zone 8 or colder in the U.S., these tropical flowers won’t last long outdoors. This is another great reason to put them in containers so you can bring them inside or onto a covered patio for the winter.
The choice of pot for a hibiscus is important. It can affect how many blooms you get. If a pot is too deep, the plant will focus energy on root growth and produce fewer flowers. Once you have the right container, prepare it by making sure the soil will drain well. Use gravel or another substrate for the bottom layer of the pot and then add rich soil. Hibiscus likes moist soil, but not soggy, standing water.
When you get the hibiscus plant, place it in your container with the soil and water immediately and every day after, especially when outdoor conditions are dry. Place the pot in a location where your hibiscus will get at least six hours of sunlight. In cooler climates, make sure it gets full sun. In a hot and dry climate you can place the pot in partial sun. One of the great things about container gardening is that you can move your pot around if the plant does not look happy.
Overwintering Your Hibiscus
Tropical hibiscus plants flourish when temperatures are between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 32 degrees Celsius). They cannot tolerate temperatures below freezing. If you live in a region that gets colder winters, bring the container indoors for the winter, or at least onto a covered porch or patio. Place it where it will get as much sun as possible and be aware that indoor winter air tends to be dry. Your plant may need more water over the winter. Remove buds throughout the winter so the plant will flower in the spring and summer.
Gardeners love hibiscus because of the range of gorgeous, large flowers in brightly tropical colors. You can find varieties with the colors you like best from various growers – or collections like Hollywood Hibiscus, a branded collection of superior tropical hibiscus grown by many innovative nurseries from coast to coast. They include several cultivars with colors in all shades of orange, red, yellow, and pink. They also have naturally compact growing habits, another reason these hibiscus plants are great for container growing.
But it’s not just these traits that make them standouts”¦it’s their added personality! Hollywood Hibiscus selections are named for Hollywood personalities such as Hot Shot, Leading Lady, Bad Boy, and Runway Beauty. This makes it a fun way for gardeners to incorporate the personality or color that suits him or her best into the garden.
When you choose to container grow your hibiscus, you get to enjoy beautiful color even if you have cold winters or limited space, and Hollywood Hibiscus plants go one step further with stunning blooms that last longer than many others, putting out continuous buds with multi-day flowering all season long, from spring through fall.
Take care of your tropical container garden and it will reward you for years to come.
