Heat, Humidity and Hardy Hibiscus

Peppermint Schnapps Hibiscus starting to bloom in the summer heat. For my money this is the most prolific winter hardy hibiscus available. Its also probably the largest. It easily reaches 8 feet every year and consistently blooms into the fall months. As you can see the blooms are large and showy. Hardy hibiscus take quite a while to emerge in Spring. Don't be alarmed. They don't sprout until you get warmer days in early May. We don't stake them but we do wrap with twine when they reach about 4 feet to keep them contained. As always with hibiscus, the more sun they get the better they bloom. Lastly, hardy hibiscus die back to the ground each year. Just cut the stalks off at the ground after it dies back in early winter.

Another image of Peppermint Schnapps Hibiscus.

Hibiscus Kopper King is a worthy 2nd place to Peppermint above. It doesn't grow as tall (about 5 to 6 feet) but the blooms are a little larger. Its has a similar color profile so they are complementary if planted together. The foliage is a little darker as well.

A duo of Kopper King. These blooms are 10 inches across.  

Hibiscus Luna White is pure white with a red core. A striking contrast against the green foliage. This variety only grows to about 3 feet and stays compact making it perfect when you want hibiscus without the height. The blooms are about 6 to 7 inches.

Scarlet Canna Indica continues to bloom well this year.

Variegated Canna Lily Pretoria is a showstopper. The foliage alone is worth it. The bright orange bloom is icing on the cake. Give it lots of sun, moist conditions and when the summer heat and humidity hit, it explodes with new growth. As with other Canna, it spreads quickly underground so you can divide the clump in a few seasons and have spots of color throughout your garden.

Beautiful Gladiolus kleinbloemig Glamini is the new variety that's only about 2/12 feet tall. It still requires staking due to our heavy rains but they are much easier to manage because they are so short. Basically you get the same bloom as a standard tall Glad on a shorter stalk.

A nice Tiger Swallowtail butterfly sipping nectar from golden jubilee hyssop.