Summerific® Evening Rose Hibiscus

• Partial Sun to Full Sun (At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)
• Height 4 Feet
• Width 4.5 - 5 Feet
• Growing Zones 4-9

With their hot pink ruffled petals, a texture akin to seersucker fabric, and contrasting purple, almost black foliage, the huge 8 inch blooms of Summerific ‘Evening Rose’ Rose Mallow are sure to become your favorite part of summer. Hardy Hibiscus are a herbaceous class of rose mallow, unlike Rose of Sharon, its close cousin, that die back down to the ground each winter and rise again in late spring, early summer, catapulting to great heights and putting on a show for weeks, sometimes into the fall with huge, vibrant blooms. While technically a bog plant, this showy beauty has earned a place in gardens across the country with its ability to grow in a variety of soils and environments.

Native to North America and growing on the edge of wetlands and bogs of the Southeast portion of the United States, Rose Mallow is sometimes referred to as Swamp Hibiscus. Its propensity for wet areas gives gardeners with well draining but damp areas a great specimen plant to include in their garden. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9, all but the hottest and the coldest regions of the United States can enjoy this showstopper in their gardens. Bees and butterflies will be frequent visitors to these lovely flowers. Deer may browse on them but they should withstand the pressure as they are very vigorous.

Summerific® Evening Rose Hibiscus Care

Tolerant of a wide variety of soil types and pH ranges, Summerific Evening Rose is going to appreciate a well draining rich humus soil with an average pH range of 6.0 to 6.5. It tolerates poor, average and fertile soils, and needs a consistently moist environment to perform best for you. Installing a drip irrigation system, especially in hot Southern regions, may be the best plan to keep these ladies happy. If that is not possible, consider mulching with a well composted organic material to keep the ground moist and to pump up poor soil nutrition for better results. Fertilize with a low phosphorus granular fertilizer in spring, something like a 10-4-12. Plant in full sun in cooler summer regions, and in sun with some afternoon shade in hot summer regions. Japanese beetles hatch about the time this flower starts blooming, so use biological controls to keep them off your flowers as they will make holes in the petals and ruin the looks.

Deadheading is not necessary with Hardy Hibiscus, although you may want to do so to clean up the large spent flower and to help prolong the bloom period. Blooms last a couple days and are then done. Pinch or cut the bloom right behind the calyx and remove it. It is easy to forget how much better the plant looks, or how much longer the plant will bloom when you deadhead. For a full season of color, don’t forget this one maintenance tip. Prune old stems back down to a couple inches from the ground in late winter prior to new growth coming up.

Summerific® Evening Rose Hibiscus Spacing

This is a large plant when mature. Space plants about 54 to 60 inches apart. By the end of the season, this plant can have reached 48 inches tall and spread out to 60 inches wide. Watch for aphids, spider mites or thrips, and apply an insecticidal soap at first sign of infestation to stay ahead of them. These are generally very hardy, happy plants and you will fall in love with the huge volume of blooms and the beautiful, unique colored foliage of Summerific Evening Rose.

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