Desert Hibiscus Varieties

Single-Flowered Varieties

• Single-flowered varities have blooms shaped much like those of a petuna, with deep throats. Flowers can be solid colors, or blotched and speckled with contrasting hues. H. rosa-sinensis 'Agnes Galt' has large pink flowers. It is a hardy and vigorous grower. To keep it full, prune regularly. 'All Aglow' has large flowers with orange petals blotched with pink and a white throat. 'Bridal Veil' has pure white flowers that last several days. The 'Brilliant' variety has bright red flowers and is a hardy and vigorous grower. For very large flowers in tones of pink and orange, choose 'Rose Estey'. The leaves on this variety are also interesting; they are unusually large with ruffled edges.

Double-Flowered Varieties

• Double-flowered varieties have two layers of petals, some are solid colored, some have two tones. H. rosa-sinensis 'Red Dragon' is a red blooming variety with a compact growth habit. 'Kona Princess' has ruffled double pink flowers and reaches a height of about 6 feet. The 'Fullmoon' variety has solid yellow flowers. For a dark red, try 'Diamond head' with flowers that are almost black. The 'Crown of Bohemia' variety has golden flowers that are more orange at the base of petals. It is a fast grower to about 5 feet tall.

'Show' Varieties

• The hibiscus varieties above are considered the hardiest and easiest to grow among the traditional hibiscus species. However, a relatively new introduction are hibiscus of the "show" variety, which are fussier and need consistent nighttime temperatures above 60 degrees to flower. What is different about these is they stay small (about 6 feet) and can be grown indefinitely in pots, which means you can bring them indoors on cold nights. Their flowers are huge, as large as to eight to 10 inches across. Plus, the colors are very unusual. Most have two or three colors in each flower, ranging from gray with orange and white stripes, silver with white, blue and brown.

Care and Maintenance

• Hibiscus demands well-drained soils, so if your soil is less than perfect, opt for raised beds or containers. Hibiscus needs regular watering and feeding, especially if you are growing in pots. Feed in-ground plants once a month and potted plants every two weeks. Pinching back the top of stems encourages more flowers, and cutting back one-third of old wood in the spring will rejuvenate woody plants.