I Have Multiple Hardy Hibiscus Plants And Am Wondering If…
Angie Asked
I have multiple hardy hibiscus plants and am wondering if I can plant them in a group? I have two corners on an outbuilding that I am trying to soften. I have about 5 feet on one side and about 3 feet on the other side where Endless Summer hydrangeas are planted. Would one be enough?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hi, Angie: Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) will certainly soften a building. They are prolific summer bloomers if given a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight each day. Even though the blooms only last for one day they are continuously producing new ones throughout the growing season, so the plant is never in short supply. You can certainly plant them in a group but it does not sound like you have the space to do so. These plants will grow to be 4-6 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide each season. They should be pruned back to around 6 inches each fall but in order to give them enough space during the warmer months, it sounds like one on each side will be all the space can handle. They are stunning in a mass planting but are still lovely planted individually. Make sure you space them far enough away from the building so they have sufficient room to grow each season. If you are transplanting these hibiscus the best time to do this would be late winter/early spring just as new growth starts. These plants are one of the last to break dormancy in the garden so you will have plenty of time to move them in the spring. The second best time to move them is now. Late summer or early fall is better than moving them in the middle of the summer, but they will be more subject to frost damage being moved at this time. The root-to-soil contact is minimal and this makes them more susceptible to frost heaving. This is when the soil temperature changes and causes the plant to be lifted up from the soil and exposed to damaging weather. So, if you can wait until the spring the plants will thank you.
