They’re blooming!

Texas Star Hibiscus

Texas Star Hibiscus - 2

Hibiscus can be annuals or perennials in our area.  Most of the really fancy hibiscus are annuals even here in the DFW area but this particular hibiscus,  Hibiscus coccineus or the Texas Star, is a perennial and is cold tolerant all the way to zone 5.

There are several cultivars – ‘Frisbee,’ ‘Southern Bell,’ and ‘Marsh’ – but I have no idea which specific cultivar this one is.  I just know that I love it!  The hotter it gets, the better it likes it.  It will bloom all summer long when the rest of the garden starts wilting.  It is very easy to grow.  Most hibiscus like well drained soils, but this one can handle swampy conditions in the rainy season and drought during the dry season.  What more could you ask for from a Texas plant?  And yes, this one is a native.

I have not had any problems with this plant in the five years that I have had it.  No disease and no pests.  I’m told that caterpillars will sometimes eat them, but I haven’t noticed any.  They are rated for sun to part shade, but I have it in pretty heavy shade and it doesn’t seem to slow down the blooming at all.

This is a really tall plant.  It reaches five to six feet tall.  And the leaves are beautiful (resembling a canibus leaf with a red edging).  In the fall, it will die all the way back to the ground leaving lovely smooth canes with seed pods.

Texas Star Hibiscus Buds