PlantFiles: Swamp Hibiscus, Scarlet Rose Mallow, Texas Star, Scarlet Hibiscus
Hibiscus coccineus

I am absolutely thrilled to have had my plant bloom after planting it last year from a collected seed. I missed seeing the bloom on the parent plant -- so I had no idea it is a huge 7.5" across...and red! It's important to note that the foliage is fantastic too. I'm hooked! :-D

My law enforcement buddies saw this plant and nearly went beserk as it appears to be of the hemp family.
Unfortunately,my mother plant grew weell until this June when it suddenly started to whither on both stalks(about 3ft high) She had plenty of water and was not root bound in her pot. I soaked her in fungicide as recommended by the hibiscus folks and then took the plant out of the pot and soaked the root ball. in C triple action 20(5% mix). I replanted and hope for the best.
BUT, the seeds she produced are growing rapidly and well. I just wonder if any one else has had a spot of this sudden droop and rot?

I cut my plants back in late fall. If your plant is not blooming as you like, my plants flowers beautifully after a dose of "blooming" Miracle Grow. I have had much sucess with planting them near air-conditioner units that produce constant water from condensation.

My plants are growing at my pond edge. When the summer rains come, the pond level will be lapping at their feet. That's OK - they are perfectly happy growing in water up to 18". In the winter, they die back despite our moderate winter temperatures in Florida. Once Spring arrives, they begin to push up from the earth to begin blooming in late June. They will continue blooming their hearts out all summer and fall. I waited this year until they were approx. 12-16" high and then I cut them back to encourage branching which results in more flowers. I put the thicker stem cuttings into the wet sand where they would get some shade and they rooted quickly. Then I transplanted them to sunny locations.

Over the winter, I started 100 plants from seed. They are very easy to start from seed if you barely cover the seeds with soil and keep it moist. I started them in late November and put them out in the sun as soon as they had 4 permanent leaves. When the outdoor temps got down to 50 degrees or less, I brought them inside. Fortunately, the Florida winters are mild and I was usually able to get them back outdoors the next day and we didn't have too many cold nights. Keep them slightly moist and in the sun to produce strong plants.

I suppose the category is Shrubby Perennial?

beautiful flowers and foliage, dies back to the ground here and late ti rise in the spring -mid May

It dies to the ground in winter but comes back from roots. Love the beautiful blooms!

Because I have a wildlife habitat- I tried this plant in my bog garden first and the next year I planted the harvested seeds in a pot for one of my regular ponds. It has done so well (both over-wintered outside) that I tried some seeds in regular soil by a dead tree used for bird feeding. The plants are all blooming beautifully in all locations and seem happy. This years seeds will be given out as little extras in Christmas cards to friends.

My plant resides in fullsun tendency towards dry soil. I haven't had any problems with it being high maintenance or requiring an inordain amount of water.

We have planted these as a border against a fence. They are at leat 6ft tall at this point. I love the flower even though it only blooms for 1 day. Does anyone have any advice as to how to trim them back? Do you trim in Fall or Spring?

I'm tempted to see if this will overwinter here in zone 5 but don't want to risk killing this beautiful plant. I kept my "Great Red" indoors in a container through the winter months and set it out on the back porch in summer. I purchased the plant at Monticello in a four inch pot almost one year ago.

This can grow into a very large plant. My cousin in Ms has one so large it covers the storage shed- and gets lovelier every year. I broght a very small seedling home to East Texas 3 years ago, and every year it gets more beautiful. One of the nursery men told me it is called the Confederate Texas Star--guess because the leaves have 5 points like the lone star of texas-

I love this plant. If you don't want it growing tall, you can keep it pruned to a lower height.You really should prune it down after it blooms anyway to keep it neat and encourage better growth.

I live in Ohio (U.S.); Zone 5. I planted one of these plants last year not knowing what it was, I got really lucky to end up with such a pretty flower. It is at least six foot tall with blooms all the way down the plant. Any one who has the chance to have one of these flowers should get it - I love this plant.

I was given seed for this plant about three years ago at a Native Plant Synposium in Atlanta, Georgia. I got six plants from the seed, planted them in the red clay there, in an azalea border that got lots of water, and they all grew, but very slowly.

When I moved to Florida I brought one plant with me in a pot, and it was planted in a party shady, raised border last fall. It must like it here because it recently bloomed for the first time--four strikingly huge, red flowers that eventually turned into bright green pods, and when the pods turned brown I collected the seed. I'll be putting the seed in a pot very soon to start more plants.

Here in Northcentral Florida, zone 8b, I see this plant mostly growing in water gardens, where it can attain great height. Mine is only about five feet tall at about three years old in a regular flower border, but I've seen one here in a tub in a water garden with long fin koi that must be eight or ten feet tall--it's easily the tallest plant in the pond.

October 6, 2003: I now have over a dozen seedlings growing in pots. Not sure how I will overwinter them--still in their pots surrounded and covered by mulch, perhaps. Anyone have any suggestions as to how to overwinter these seedlings?

I have 4 hibiscus trees. Two are blue also called rose of sharon. These have a different leaf, sort of like a leaf of a mosquito bush. The other is a double yellow and the last is called a lipstick hisbiscus. They grow beautifully and here in Tucson they are easily purchased at any nursery in April.The three bushes I have are a red, an orange with red throats, and a yellow with red throats. They seem do do better in full sun but with our heat they do get stressed. I prune them down about 2/3s and they come right back. I also leave only 2 buds on each branch so the flowers will be bigger.I have learned however that you have to be carefull not to overwater these as the leaves will yellow and start to fall as will the buds.

Planted in fall last year (nursery specimen). New growth did not appear until early May 2003. Plant is approx. 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide with several "stalks" emerging from base. Buds form in clusters at the top of each. Leaves are similar to a hand that are deep green with 6-7 seraded fingers. Does well in partial shade to full sun. A wonderful specimen to add a different "flavor" to your flower bed or garden.

Another common name is Swamp Hibiscus, I thought by the name it would need a shady damp place. I planted one in shade and one with part sun - the one in more sun had many more blooms and grows more rapidly. I gave my neighbor a small one and his was planted in full sun, it was full of blooms when mine only had one or tow blooms at a time.

With its love of moisture, this plant is a great addition to a water garden, which is where I have mine. The blossoms are large (about 8 inches across) and a beautiful scarlet color. It is supposed to attract hummingbirds. The plant goes dormant in the winter. The old stems can be cut off when new growth appears in spring. There is an albino form of this plant.

I have had this plant for two years now and each year it is more beautifl than the last. It loves to be packed with other plants. I take the seeds from the pods when the pods begin to open and have started several plants that way. It seems like the plant needs a couple years to bloom. I planted two seeds last year and they have come up, but very slow. The parent plant is almost 5 feet tall now, while the new plants are only 2 feet tall. I will try to keep you abreast of the growth. I live on the coast in NC.

H. coccineus is a hardy perennial in zones 6-11, and is native to the USA.

This plant has many common names including Texas Star, Scarlet Hibiscus and Swamp Mallow