Sleeping Hibiscus

 

 

This is Malvaviscus arboreus, called sleeping hibiscus, turk's cap, and several other names. I received it as a small plant from my Mother-in-law in south Alabama quite a few years ago. She had it growing in the shade of some giant oaks, and it was pretty spindly and had few flowers. I planted mine in full sun and it is more beautiful year after year. It speads by underground runners, but mine now occupies as much space as I am willing to give it.I keep it in check by ripping out runners after it gets growing in the spring and early summer. Frost cuts it to the ground in our area (zone 8) but it springs back each year and by late summer is putting on quite a show. It continues it's bloom right on till frost. It attracts literally clouds of yellow sulfur butterflies. This year there seemed to be a bumper crop. You have to keep a watch out for those sulfur butterfly larvae though. They seem to really enjoy the buds and blooms of other flowers (that is other than sleeping hibiscus)and will decimate geranium buds. Hummingbirds also enjoy sipping these hibiscus, but of course that is no surprise. I do not feed hummingbirds. I don't have time to sit and watch them anyway and I prefer to let my flowers feed them.
Sleeping hibiscus root like a house afire at any time of the year. If you have adequate space, they are well worth growing. They have no pests to speak of, and their dark green leaves and bright red flowers can start you in the Christmas mood already.
Oh yeah. It is very drought tolerant.

Turk's Cap Hibiscus

 

This is a carefree drought tolerant perennial I have had for years. I pulled it from an overgrown bed at the base of a tree in south Alabama, but it thrives in zone 8 wonderfully. In fact, most years I pull out what I don't want to keep the clump in bounds. Turk's cap hibiscus is in its full glory now and attracts clouds of butterflies, primarily yellow sulfurs as well as migrating hummingbirds.
It is a hibiscus (clue- see the fancy stigma sticking out beyond the petals), even though it's petals will never unfold. I have seen these plants in South Alabama with much larger flowers than mine and think that mine may be either a wild plant or else the larger ones are hybrids. At any rate they are beautiful this time of year and reqire almost no care. Besides, they are a pleasant break from the sea of mums that accost us this time of year.