Most people grow Hibiscus plants for their showy flowers - the exotic ones you envision on tropical islands. However, there are many varieties of hibiscus, each with unique characteristics and care requirements. This article explores the cultivation and care of two remarkable hibiscus species: African Rose Mallow (Hibiscus acetosella) and Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos).
African Rose Mallow (Hibiscus acetosella)
Hibiscus acetosella, commonly known as the Cranberry Hibiscus or African Rosemallow, is a striking perennial plant renowned for its unique and decorative foliage and vibrant flowers. There is one species, however, that is more noted for its interesting foliage than the flowers. Hibiscus acetosella is a bold addition to the garden, with deep red-purple foliage that makes a great contrast with green and silver-leaved plants.
Origin and Characteristics
Native: Cranberry Hibiscus is native to tropical East Africa, where it thrives in a variety of habitats, including marshes and open woodlands.
Size: The plant generally grows 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) tall and can spread up to 1 to 2.5 feet (0.3 to 0.75 meters) wide.
Flowers: This perennial Hibiscus usually produces striking brownish-red or crimson flowers. The flowers are typically 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and feature a showy, funnel-shaped structure with five petals. The plant blooms from late summer through fall.
Foliage: The foliage is its most distinctive feature. The leaves are typically palmate, resembling Japanese maple, and exhibit a rich red to burgundy coloration. The striking leaf color remains vibrant throughout the growing season, providing year-round interest.
Hardiness: Hibiscus acetosella is suited to warm climates and is hardy in USDA Zones 9-11. It prefers temperatures that do not fall below 30°F (-1°C).
Uses: Cranberry Hibiscus is primarily used for ornamental purposes. Its vibrant foliage and attractive flowers make it popular for garden beds, borders, and containers.
This tender perennial subshrub, native to tropical East Africa, is hardy only to zone 8 or 9 but is easily grown as an annual in colder climates. The palmate leaves are dissected to varying degrees, depending on the cultivar, and in general are reminiscent of a Japanese maple. The leaves of the species are variable, lobed or unlobed, green and red or all red, but those selections offered as ornamentals have dark maroon, bronze colored, or variegated leaves and stems. The foliage is particularly attractive when backlit and the sun shines through the leaves. The plants grow 3-5 feet tall and up to 30” wide in one season.
The small (2”), deep crimson to purple flowers are rather similar in color to the foliage. They are borne singly in the leaf axils, so because of both their color and location between the leaves the flowers are not very conspicuous and may be overlooked. Plants bloom in response to short day length, so they flower very late in the growing season. The shrubby habit of this plant makes it a good choice for a seasonal hedge, an attractive annual specimen plant, or for contrast in the mixed border or cottage garden. It looks particularly nice with the silver foliage of cardoon.
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Combine darker purple-red types with pink flowers, such as pentas, zinnias or Verbena bonariensis, for a sophisticated look or with lime-green foliage or green, yellow, or bright orange zinnias or other flowers for a bolder composition. Plant it in combination with large-leaves plants, like bananas or cannas, for a tropical look.
Edible: Cranberry Hibiscus is celebrated for its young leaves, which have a tangy, mildly sour taste and are used both raw and cooked. In South America, these leaves are added in small amounts to salads and stir-fries. They retain their vibrant color even after cooking, making them a visually appealing addition to dishes.
Toxicity: Cranberry Hibiscus is generally considered non-toxic to humans and pets.
Deer and Rabbits: Hibiscus is generally not a preferred food source for deer or rabbits.
Benefits: The plant’s primary benefits are its aesthetic qualities.
Cultivation
H. acetosella is easy to grow from seed and quickly attains a large size. The seeds have small prickly hairs that may be irritating to some people. Seeds germinate easily and the seedlings grow fast. Sow seed indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Plant outside after the danger of frost has passed. This plant is also often available as potted cuttings at nurseries and garden centers.
Light: Plant Cranberry Hibiscus in full sun. It thrives best with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Timing: Plant Cranberry Hibiscus in spring after the last frost, or in early summer for best results.
Planting Depth: Set the plant so that the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface.
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water regularly, especially during hot, dry periods. Reduce watering in cooler months when growth slows down.
Fertilizing: Use a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer or one high in potassium and phosphorus to encourage healthy foliage and growth. Apply fertilizer in early spring as new growth begins, and again in mid-summer if needed.
Place in full sun in well-drained, moist soil for best growth and color. Since the plants are often not particularly full, plant several closely together to create a bushier appearance, or pinch the plants to encourage branching. Cuttings can be taken in the fall to save plants for the next growing season. Cuttings will root in soil or water. This is not a common listing in seed catalogs and might be listed by its synonym H. eetveldeanus.
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Pruning and Maintenance
Remove any dead, damaged, or overcrowded stems to maintain plant health and shape. Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Pinch back the tips of young plants to encourage a bushier growth habit.
Winter Care
In USDA Zones below 9, Cranberry Hibiscus may need to be grown as an annual or overwintered indoors as a houseplant. Ensure containers are placed in a sunny location and water regularly.
Propagation
From Seed: Sow seeds in seed-starting mix, covering them lightly. Once seedlings emerge, provide them with plenty of light.
From Cuttings: Select healthy, non-flowering stems and cut them to about 4-6 inches long. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone and plant it in a pot with a well-draining potting mix. Place the pot in a warm, bright location with indirect sunlight. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
By Division: Carefully dig up the plant, ensuring you keep the root ball intact. Replant the divided sections in well-prepared soil, making sure they are at the same depth as they were originally.
Varieties
- ‘Haight Ashbury’ (US PPAF), introduced by Proven Winners, has leaves whose shape bears some resemblance to marijuana, hence the name for that famous San Francisco location of the 1960s. It has variegated leaves in shades of cream, pink, red, copper and burgundy, with deep burgundy flowers. It is vegetatively propagated and not available as seed.
- ‘Maple Sugar’ (US PP16,286) has slightly larger burgundy-black, maple leaf-shaped foliage and burgundy blooms. It is vegetatively propagated and not available as seed.
- ‘Panama Bronze’ (PPAF) had deeply cut purple-bronze leaves and bright red flowers. This is a hybrid of H. radiatus x H.
Common Problems
Cranberry Hibiscus is generally a robust plant, but it can encounter some issues.
- Mealybugs: Small, white, cottony insects that feed on plant sap, causing stunted growth and a sticky residue. Remove mealybugs manually or with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
- Thrips: Tiny, slender insects that can cause speckled or silvery leaves due to their feeding. They may also spread plant viruses. Spray outdoor plant foliage with insecticides effective against thrips, such as spinosad, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, or lambda-cyhalothrin. Ensure complete coverage, focusing on flower buds for systemic control. Applying imidacloprid granules to the soil can also provide effective, long-lasting protection.
- Japanese beetles: Metallic green beetles that chew on leaves, leaving behind skeletonized foliage. Hand-picking, beneficial nematodes, floating row covers, knockdown sprays, natural predators, insecticides can help.
- Powdery mildew: This fungal disease manifests as white powdery spots on leaves.
- Root rot: Excessive watering can lead to root rot.
Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
If you’re not familiar with rose mallow, get ready to be amazed, especially if you garden in a northern climate. Like tropical hibiscus, rose mallow boasts huge, vibrantly colored flowers, some growing to the size of dinner plates. But once your hardy hibiscus bursts into bloom, it will continue flowering until the first frost and then return again in spring for a repeat performance. Despite its tolerance for cold weather, rose mallow also loves the heat and grows equally well in balmy southern climates.
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Photo by: Arthit Buarapa / Alamy Stock Photo.
Key Features
- Growth rate: Fast.
- Soil: Mostly native to swampy areas, rose mallow prefers evenly moist, humus-rich soil. If necessary, mulch to help retain moisture.
- Bloom Time: Midsummer until the first frost.
- Foliage: Broad, triangular, and deeply lobed.
Planting and Care
When to plant: In spring or fall, as long as there is no danger of frost.
Where to plant: In full sun (at least 6 hours daily). In hot climates, it may be necessary to provide some afternoon shade to prevent scorching of the foliage. Also provide shelter from strong winds, which can damage the delicate, crepe-papery flowers. Because of rose mallow’s preference for wet soils, it thrives in low spots and wetter areas along streams or ponds.
How to plant: Start seeds indoors in early spring and then transplant outdoors once the weather warms or purchase potted plants from a nursery. When planting, be sure to give plants plenty of elbow room to accommodate their eventual spread.
Water: Water regularly and up to twice a day in hotter weather, especially if growing in a container. Wilting leaves are a sure sign that your plant needs a good soaking. To avoid leaf fungus and other foliar diseases, water during the early morning hours rather than late in the evening.
Pruning: When you see new growth begin to emerge in spring, prune back the old woody stems to about 6 inches tall to make way for the new foliage. To stimulate branching and promote a bushier habit, you can prune the tips of the branches in early summer.
Overwintering: In colder climates, apply a layer of mulch around your plants after they die back in the fall to provide an extra layer of insulation. While plants are dormant, water only enough to keep the soil moist. Rose mallow growing in a pot can generally be left outdoors unless temperatures are expected to drop below 20 degrees F for a prolonged period of time.
Pests and Diseases
Particularly vulnerable to Japanese beetles and sawflies. Handpicking beetles early in the morning, using row covers, or applying neem or insecticidal soap can help control infestations. Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides, which harm pollinators.
Varieties of Rose Mallow
Hibiscus moscheutos is highly variable and the parent to many hybrids. Some notable varieties include:
- Summerific® 'Cookies and Cream' - H. Large ruffled flowers, up to 8 inches across, bloom all over this densely compact shrub from mid-summer to early fall.
- Summerific® 'Holy Grail' - H. Deep red flowers are set against incredibly dark (nearly black) foliage on this rose mallow.
- Summerific® 'Ballet Slippers' - H. White flowers with petals edged in pink look like giant pinwheels rotating around deep-red centers.
- ‘Kopper King’ is unique for its coppery red deeply cut leaves. The 12-inch-wide flowers are light pink to white with a burgundy center.
- ‘Lady Baltimore’ is a popular old variety sporting pink flowers with red centers.
- ‘Lord Baltimore’ is another old variety with crimson-red flowers on five-foot-tall plants.
The Summerific® series is a hybrid series that contains at least a dozen cultivars ranging in height from three to four and a half feet with a number of color options.
Companion Plants
Because of its colossal blooms, rose mallow makes a bold statement wherever you plant it, so be sure to use it judiciously so it won’t steal the show from the other plants in your garden. It’s best used as a backdrop for sun-loving groundcovers or plants with strappy foliage that will add nice textural contrast to the broad leaves. Use in combination with spring bloomers such as creeping phlox or Jacob's Ladder.
Want to make the most of rose mallow’s tropical looks in your garden? Play with color echoes: Choose companion plants that pick up the red eye or pink tones of hibiscus flowers. Choices such as coleus, daylilies, or coneflower make striking partners.
Why Rose Mallow Matters
- Pollinator magnet: Its massive blooms draw bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
- Perennial beauty: Plant once and enjoy flowers year after year.
- Native alternative: Unlike tropical hibiscus (H.
Rose Mallow is a host plant for several butterflies. Some native plants offer beauty alongside support for butterfly populations; these plants are called host plants. Many butterfly moms will only lay their eggs on their host plant(s), and their caterpillars will only eat their host plants. Rose Mallow is the host plant for several butterflies and moths, including Common Checkered Skippers, Pearly Wood Nymphs, and the iconic Io Moth.
Hibiscus vs. Rose Mallow
How can I make sure I’m buying native Rose Mallow? Latin names were invented for exactly this reason: every plant has only one Latin name. To make sure you’re getting the right native plant, look at the tag. If you see Hibiscus moscheutos-you’ve got the native option. Don’t see the Latin name on the plant tag? Ask a staff member if they can help you.
Give Rose Mallow full sun and moist soil, and it will thrive. It’s perfect for rain gardens, low spots in the yard, or the edges of ponds. In winter, stems die back to the ground, but don’t worry - new shoots emerge in spring. Each bloom lasts only a day or so, but plants produce many flowers over several weeks.
Yes! Rose Mallow is a perennial, meaning plant once, and it will return year after year. Rose Mallow will die back in the winter (the leaves will fall off, and the stem will die) but then re-emerge triumphantly to make new stems, leaves, and flowers from its roots in the spring.
Use Rose Mallow as a dramatic vertical element at the back of borders, in rain gardens, or along fences where you want a wall of summer color. Its oversized blooms stand out against finer-textured plants and pair beautifully with yellows and purples. If you’ve got a sunny wet patch, Rose Mallow can turn it into the highlight of your yard.
These stunning flowers are epic in their height and their beauty. While each flower only lasts a few days, each plant puts out several, making the bloom time last a month or more. Finally, these are excellent choices for butterfly gardens since they are the host plant for several beloved ones-including the Common Checkered Skipper and Io Moth.
Additional Hibiscus Varieties
Hibiscus is a large genus of flowering plants in the Malvaceae or mallow family. Perennial and annual hibiscus are grown as ornamentals in South Carolina.
Here are some additional hibiscus varieties to consider:
- Scarlet Rose Mallow (Hibiscus coccineus): Also known as Texas Star Hibiscus, this species is native to portions of the Southeast and hardy in USDA Zones 6-9. The six- to eight-inch-wide flowers are brilliant red, with petals more separated than those of other hibiscus, giving the blossom a star-shaped look. Individual flowers last only a day, but new blooms open throughout summer and fall. The leaves are deeply divided into narrow, toothed, finger-like lobes. Established plants grow to seven feet each growing season. Scarlet rose mallow prefers full sun and moist soil. Divide plants in the spring.
- Cotton Rose Mallow (Hibiscus mutabilis): Cotton Rose Mallow (also commonly known as Confederate Rose) is a large shrub that behaves as a perennial in most of the state, dying back in the winter and regrowing each spring from the base. It is hardy in USDA Zones 7-9. Plant height varies from about eight feet in the Upstate to 15 feet on the coast. Flowers of the species are white when they first open and darken as they mature.
- Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus grandiflorus): Swamp Rose Mallow is a tall perennial wetland plant with large showy flowers and green, velvety leaves. Sometimes found in brackish conditions, it can be grown where other plants succumb to salty conditions.
- Rose Of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus): Also known as Althea, this native of China and Taiwan is a durable deciduous shrub that grows 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. It is hardy in USDA Zones 5-9. Flowers appear during the hottest months. A wide variety of cultivars are available, with flowers in various colors and forms.
- Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis): This tropical shrub is a vigorous grower with magnificent flowers. Native to Asia, it is only hardy in the small area along the coast of South Carolina designated as Zone 9 (a and b). The flowers are available in many colors, ranging through nearly the entire spectrum.
Related Plants
There are many ornamental plants closely related and similar in appearance to hibiscus.
- Hollyhock (Alcea rosea): Hollyhock is one of the most popular old-fashioned cottage garden flowers, with a distinctive upright pillar of large, brightly colored blooms for a few short weeks in summer. Plants typically grow from three to six feet tall, but eight-foot-tall giants are not unusual, especially if grown in rich, well-drained soil with ample moisture.
- Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var drummondii): This botanical variety is native to portions of the Southeast, while other varieties of the species are not. This perennial is grown for its constant blooms that resemble a Turkish turban. The bright red, three-inch-long hibiscus-like flowers never fully open and have long, protruding stamens. It is hardy in USDA Zones 8-10.
- Virginia Saltmarsh Mallow (Kosteletzkya virginica): This perennial hibiscus is native to salty or brackish marshes all along the eastern seaboard and across to Texas. It is a useful plant near the beach but will thrive in ordinary garden soil if given adequate irrigation. Small, 2½-inch-wide lavender-pink blossoms appear in abundance from June through October.
Table: Hibiscus Varieties and Their Characteristics
| Variety | Native/Hardiness | Flower Characteristics | Foliage Characteristics | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Rose Mallow (Hibiscus acetosella) | Tropical East Africa, USDA Zones 9-11 | Crimson to purple, 2 inches | Deep red-purple, palmate | Grown for foliage, edible leaves |
| Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) | Southeastern US, USDA Zones 4-9 | Large, pink, red, or white | Broad, triangular, deeply lobed | Pollinator magnet, perennial |
| Scarlet Rose Mallow (Hibiscus coccineus) | Southeastern US, USDA Zones 6-9 | Brilliant red, star-shaped | Deeply divided, narrow lobes | Individual flowers last a day |
| Cotton Rose Mallow (Hibiscus mutabilis) | USDA Zones 7-9 | White when open, darken with age | Variable | Behaves as a perennial |
| Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus grandiflorus) | Wetland plant | Large, showy | Green, velvety | Tolerant of salty conditions |
| Rose Of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) | China and Taiwan, USDA Zones 5-9 | Various colors and forms | N/A | Durable deciduous shrub |
| Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) | Asia, USDA Zone 9 | Various colors, single or double | N/A | Tropical shrub, vigorous grower |
By understanding the specific needs and characteristics of each hibiscus variety, gardeners can create stunning displays and enjoy the beauty of these remarkable plants.
