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Would it be merry Saturday, or happy Saturday? Either way, the hibiscus are still blooming.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
New York might not strike many as a hibiscus state. Not at first. But set foot in the Home Gardening Center in August, and you could find yourself fooled (however briefly) into thinking you’ve landed in Hawaii, or Florida–spots where locals have an easy time landscaping their homes with these flowers. They show up in sunny yellows, punch bowl pinks, and whites punctuated with contrasting reds. In our trial beds, however, we’re spreading the word that hibiscus aren’t limited to places with palm trees; some species are just as suitable for your native plant garden here in the Empire State!
Like the water lilies in the Conservatory pools, species of hibiscus are divided into two groups: hardy and tropical. The latter, with its broad scope of color, does well outdoors in the beach states mentioned above; they’re not big fans of frigid temperatures. But here at the NYBG, we cultivate the former variety: hardy hibiscus, equipped to handle the weather patterns New Yorkers are used to, while boasting all the cocktail umbrella charm of their tropical counterparts. A few species, such as Hibiscus moscheutos, can even be found growing natively in New York’s wetlands.
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It tends to remind us of Hawaii, but this hibiscus cultivar hails from the Fleming Brothers of Nebraska, of all places.
Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Hibiscus ‘Fireball’
Hemerocallis ‘Bess Ross’
Photos by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Hibiscus ‘Fantasia’ (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
The beautiful genus Hibiscus.
Photos by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)