Summerific® French Vanilla Hibiscus

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

3.5-4 Feet

Mature Spread

3.5-4 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 9

Add sophistication to your summer garden with this showstopper. This Rose Mallow has it all: giant crepe-papery blooms and adaptability to most soils. Emerging from soft yellow buds, the 7-8-inch ruffled flowers are a creamy yellow that become whiter with the summer heat. Each has a dazzling red center. Enhanced by deep green foliage and red stems, the flowers bloom from midsummer to early fall and are the plant’s claim to fame. This hybrid Hibiscus grows to a height of 42-48 inches.

It is a North American native with a compact, graceful, rounded habit. Deer hate it; bees and hummingbirds love it. Use it in the landscape or border as a specimen or focal point. It is equally at home in a cottage garden and in a rain garden.

Summerific® French Vanilla Hibiscus Care

Plant this easy Hibiscus in well-drained soil – when established it can tolerate a wide range of soils from dry to boggy. Amend the soil with organic matter. It has average to high watering requirements. Fertilize in early spring with a granular rose fertilizer. You can plant this sun-lover in part sun to sun. It prefers acidic soil with a pH of less than 7, so you may need to add acidity with peat moss.

Even though they have woody stems, Rose Mallows (unlike Rose of Sharon) die back to the ground each winter because they are herbaceous perennials. They are late to emerge in the spring, but once they do, they are very fast growing. They need no special treatment or winter care; just cut off the stems once they go dormant. You may add mulch for winter protection if you wish.

Summerific® French Vanilla Hibiscus Spacing

Space them 42-48 inches apart. Consider planting them at the back of the flower border with summer annuals and perennials in front – try zinnias, daylilies, and celosias.