Watermelon Ruffles Hibiscus

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

4-5 Feet

Mature Spread

4-5 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 9

Watermelon Ruffles is a garden showstopper. This vividly pink Hibiscus is indeterminate, meaning that it produces flower after flower along the length of its stems for a long-lasting display of blooms late into the fall. Watermelon Ruffle is a hybrid that has all of the best parts of perennial hibiscus including extraordinary heat and cold tolerance. The hardest part of growing this stunning plant is being patient for it to emerge at the end of spring.

While this Hibiscus will attract all native and beneficial pollinators to your garden, deer and rabbits rarely bother the foliage. Even though perennial Hibiscus is slow to start in the spring, it quickly makes up for lost time by growing one or more inches a day. The large and tropical foliage will dress up any late-season garden and make a great backdrop to earlier blooming perennials like bearded iris, peony, or lower-growing ornamental grasses. Use Watermelon Ruffles as a specimen plant or to fill in spots where earlier blooming perennials have already gone dormant for the season. 

Watermelon Ruffles Hibiscus Care

Plant Watermelon Ruffles Hibiscus in average garden soil with good drainage. Fertilize annually with a granular slow-release food formulated for flowering perennials and shrubs. Watering is key to keeping Hibiscus growing steadily and blooming well. One inch of water a week is required even after the plants have fully established. Using soaker hoses or drip irrigation is the best way to keep the soil moderately moist around the root zone and protect the foliage and flowers from overhead watering. 

Your plant may need short-term protection from Japanese beetles, depending on where you live. Fine mesh insect netting can be wrapped around the plant before the beetles emerge in late June or early July. The netting can be removed once “beetle season” has finished. 

Deadhead Watermelon Ruffles carefully to avoid damaging the developing buds along the stem. No pinching of the stems or pruning for shape is required. Cut back the previous season’s growth late in the spring as new growth emerges. Long-handled loppers will be needed to cut the thickest stems back to ground level. Loosely mulch the growth points with 3-4 inches of finely shredded leaves or arborist chips to provide insulation during the winter months. Remove any mulch covering the crown in the spring before growth begins. 

Watermelon Ruffles Hibiscus Spacing

Watermelon Hibiscus has a dense mounded shape with a height and width of 5 feet. Space plants 5 feet apart to allow plenty of air circulation and space for this quick growing perennial. 

SKU:

HIBWR