How to Make a Shaped Hibiscus Tree

Hibiscus trees are stunning additions to a potted garden and work well on a porch, deck or patio. Shaping a hibiscus to grow in a specific form classifies it as either a topiary or a standard. A topiary is a plant that has an artistic shape. A hibiscus shaped on a single stem with the vegetation rounded in a canopy on top, similar to a tree, is referred to as a “standard.” The process of shaping a hibiscus can take from two to four seasons, so patience is required.

Hibiscus plant
Pot
Potting soil
Pruning shears
Hand sanitizer, alcohol or bleach
Tomato or bamboo stake

Instructions

- 1
  Start your tree with a small plant or one that can be pruned back to a single stem in the spring before the plant has sprouted many leaves. Plant the hibiscus in a pot just slightly larger than the root ball.
- 2
  
  Sterilize your pruning shears whenever you trim hibiscus.
  
  Sterilize a sharp pair of pruning shears by wiping them with alcohol, bleach or hand sanitizer containing alcohol. Wait about 15 seconds after applying the solution before cutting to give the disinfectant time to work. Wipe the blades between each cut you make.
- 3
  Cut the plant back to one-third its size. Prune the lower branches from the sides of the stem, cutting close to the stem but without cutting into the stem. Don't remove the leaves or branches that are growing on top of the hibiscus.
- 4
  Insert a tomato or bamboo stake in the dirt right next to the plant's stem to add support as it grows. Gently tie the stem to the stake. Reset as needed to keep the stem straight.
- 5
  Water well and place the plant in a sunny location.
- 6
  Continue to pinch leaves that sprout on the bottom of the plant as it grows, leaving just those on top of the plant.
- 7
  
  Transplant a hibiscus tree when it outgrows its pot.
  
  Transplant the hibiscus into a bigger pot when it becomes large enough. Continue to pot the plant in a container just slightly larger than the root ball. Add a taller stake when needed and continue to support the stem until it is strong enough to stand on its own without bending.
- 8
  Prune the plant to shape the top into a round, even form as it grows. Prune just above a node, or sprout, with clean shears.

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