Product Description

Hibiscuses have entered an era of increasing popularity as garden designers and home gardeners rediscover the fine attributes of these wonderful plants. Here is the only book that covers the species and cultivars of the genus Hibiscus completely and in detail. Barbara Perry Lawton surveys both kinds of hibiscus: the tropical, subtropical, and warm-temperate plants whose pure, clean colors are such grand assets to modern gardens and homes, as well as the hardy perennials and shrubs that thrive in spite of snow, ice, drought, flood, or poor soil, bearing bright flowers year after year. These classic flowers have a long and fascinating history. The book chronicles the history and traditions of their use in addition to those of Hibiscus relatives such as hollyhocks, okra, and cotton. With more than 200 species, there is great diversity in the genus Hibiscus. Barbara Perry Lawton introduces all gardeners, expert and novice alike, to the possibilities offered by these plants. A photographic gallery of hibiscuses illustrates the richness of the many species and cultivars from which the gardener may choose.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #814297 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 184 pages

Review
"A very well written book that was both enjoyable and enlightening to read. I would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in gardening with hibiscus as an entry into the sometimes bewildering world of cultivated hibiscus."
—Randall Small, Plant Science Bulletin, Fall 2005 (Plant Science Bulletin )

"An excellent resource on the genus. It is a recommended addition to all libraries that have collections in horticulture."
—Kathy Fescemyer, E-Streams, August 2005 (E-Streams )

A very well written book that was both enjoyable and enlightening to read. I would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in gardening with hibiscus as an entry into the sometimes bewildering world of cultivated hibiscus. Randall Small, Plant Science Bulletin, Fall 2005 (Plant Science Bulletin )

An excellent resource on the genus. It is a recommended addition to all libraries that have collections in horticulture. Kathy Fescemyer, E-Streams, August 2005 (E-Streams )

About the Author
Barbara Perry Lawton has served as editor and manager of publications for the Missouri Botanical Garden, president of the Garden Writers Association of America, and weekly garden columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Hardy hibiscuses will not thrive in tropical or subtropical climates such as those found in southern Florida. They require a cold season to flourish, much as apple trees do. Nevertheless, once established, these hibiscuses can endure weather and environmental extremes amazingly well. They thrive in full sun with moist, fertile soil that is of good texture, producing maximum numbers of flowers when provided with six or more hours of sun each day. They are adaptable, however, and can tolerate ordinary soil, dry conditions, and some shade once they have recovered from transplanting. Since many of these floriferous beauties descend from plants that grow in wetlands, they are tolerant of wet soils, although, like many bottomland natives, they are also tolerant of droughty conditions. Hardy hibiscuses are not particularly fussy with regard to pH, adjusting well to the usual garden soil, which will probably be anywhere from 6.5 to 7.5.

Photoperiodism defines a plant's physiological response to day or night length. Changes of season often determine such events as seed germination and flowering. Plants determine the time of year by means of the relative lengths of night and day. This can be especially important for plants that are native to areas that are far from the equal nights and days of equatorial regions. Some plants, such as poinsettias and chrysanthemums, are initiated into flowering by short days and long nights. Others, such as beans, corn, and cotton, are day-neutral plants, meaning they are unaffected by the photoperiod. Still others are triggered into flowering by long days and short nights.

Hardy hibiscuses are considered to be long-day plants, but in actuality they are short-night plants. It has long been believed that their flowering is initiated by day lengths exceeding twelve hours. However, recent studies suggest that it is the comparatively short period of darkness that spurs the development of flowers.

Knowing about the native environment of a plant and then trying to match those conditions at home is the key to success with any plant. Learn what kind of climate and soil it thrives in where it is indigenous. If you are growing plants bred from or descended from species that originated in marshy locations in the eastern United States, you can confidently assume that your plants will be a good choice for soggy, poorly draining locations. If, on the other hand, the plants derive from species native to the desert Southwest and Mexico, the last place you will want to plant them is in a site with poor drainage. Given a few simple environmental conditions, depending on the species or on the origin of the cultivar, hardy hibiscuses are easy to grow, and reward gardeners with both the large size of their blossoms and the profusion of bloom.

Most hardy hibiscuses found in the marketplace are hybrids developed from species native to damp or even wet places in eastern North America, often in the same locations where cattails are found. These handsome ornamentals are hardy to Zone 5 or even Zone 4 but need to be treated as annuals in colder climes. Of course, one never knows what winter will bring in the interior of the United States. The continental climate, not to mention the mountain chains that run north-south, means that
northern winters may be as mild as those in Memphis or as severe as those in the Yukon Territory. Most winters are a combination of the two extremes. When people ask what the climate is like in St. Louis, where I live, I can truthfully tell them that it's too hot, too cold, too wet, and too dry.

Hardy hibiscuses are late to emerge in spring. In fact, I have known gardeners who pulled up their plants thinking that they had died over the winter. Be patient with these plants. They will begin to show some budding foliage well after most other plants are in full leaf.

These perennials can become gangly, so it is wise to give them a thorough tip pruning once the new spring growth is 18 inches (45 cm) tall. If they are growing rapidly, you may want to give them a second tip pruning to further encourage branching and bushy growth. But do not tip prune after the first of June or you will delay flowering too much. If you do not tip prune hardy hibiscuses once or twice to encourage branching and bushiness, the larger, more vigorous varieties may fall over in the summer unless you stake them or cage them. In most cases, however, these strong-stemmed hibiscuses rarely need to be staked.

Varieties that ordinarily reach a height of 6 feet (1.8 m) often set buds and flower at half that height. These are plants that respond well to pruning. Once the first flush of blossoms is past, encourage more blooms by trimming off the old flowers, including any developing seedpods. You should see new flower buds developing below the old ones. Don't make the mistake of overpruning hardy hibiscuses once the first flush of bloom is past — this will delay the second round of flowers.

In fall, after a hard freeze, the foliage will die back, but it isn't necessary to prune the current year's growth until new growth begins in spring. The old growth, decorated with the last seed heads of the season, may provide winter interest. Similarly, some hibiscuses have red stems that keep their color well into winter. Most hardy hibiscuses are quite shapely if they have been tippruned during the growing season. If this is the case with your plant, leave it alone until new growth starts from the base in spring. At that time, prune back the old stems to 5 to 6 inches (12.5 to 15 cm) above the ground. If the plant becomes gawky or lopsided in late spring, go ahead and prune it back to 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 m), shaping the plant as you do so; avoid, however, doing this after May. Dead, injured, and broken stems can be pruned out at any time of year.

Once there has been a hard freeze, put down 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) of mulch. There is no need to worry about root rot with these plants, since they originate from damp or wet places. The mulch will moderate temperature extremes, conserve soil moisture, and discourage weed growth.

Pruning hibiscus stems too close to the ground may open the roots up to damage from freezing. It also may lead to you forgetting the exact location of the plant. Never prune hardy hibiscuses to the ground midway through the growing season. The plants will not recover in time to set more blooms during that season.

Leave hardy hibiscuses in place for a decade or more. Don't bother trying to divide the crowns — a challenging task at best. It is far better to buy new plants or grow them from seed or cuttings. Just remember that if you do grow hibiscuses from seed, you probably won't get plants that are like the parents.

Customer Reviews

Not for novices
I had hoped this book would have practical advise for beginners, and lots of pictures, and how-tos, such as how to prune, when and where, but I was disappointed, too much information and history that I did not need to know. Not much help for those with plants in containers, and those in the Northeast.

For the Hibiscus Lover
If you are someone wanting to read more about the history and species of Hibiscus, but don't know where to look, Barbara Perry Lawton's book is the place to go. Her book covers everything from history and breeders to native ranges and detailed explanations of more than 200 species of Hibiscus.
This book is full of useful information for anyone wanting to learn more about growing these beautiful plants in their garden. Chapters on propagation and cultivation are included and highly informative.
This is a great bok for the advanced gardener that would like to learn more about this interesting plant group.