Plant Library

Other Names:  Lilac Hibiscus, Australian Mallow

Description:

A prolific bloomer, presenting large lavender flowers with deep red centers from spring to fall, over bright green dissected foliage; a perfect shrub for containers, borders, or as a hedge in warmer climates; a great summer annual in colder zones

Ornamental Features

Lady Barbara Rose Red Centered Hibiscus features bold lavender cup-shaped flowers with crimson eyes along the branches from early spring to mid fall. It has attractive light green foliage with hints of chartreuse. The deeply cut ferny leaves are highly ornamental and remain light green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Lady Barbara Rose Red Centered Hibiscus is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Lady Barbara Rose Red Centered Hibiscus is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Lady Barbara Rose Red Centered Hibiscus will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Lady Barbara Rose Red Centered Hibiscus makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.