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Tennessee Gardening

Can Hibiscus be planted in the ground and survive the winter?

18 years ago

TN clay and TN winters are new to us. Last year I bought a sad looking Hibiscus at Lowes toward the end of the season. This year it is HUGE!! It either needs a much larger pot or planted in the ground. I prefer the latter if the winters won't kill it off. We are anxious for it to bloomÂso are the humming birds.

Thanks--

Sharon

Featured Answer

amazondoc

18 years ago

Don't be alarmed when it dies back this fall. They do that naturally. And they are *very* slow to wake up in the spring, so don't fret when everything else is up and at em but the hibiscus still looks dead!

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Comments (14)

amazondoc
18 years ago
If you bought a *hardy* hibiscus, then it will get through the winter just fine. There are hardy hibiscus and tropical hibiscus, so make sure which one you've got!
MtDreamer
Original Author
18 years ago
Many thanks.........I found the tag. It is a "luna red" and appears to be hardy in zones 5-9......SO in the ground it goes!!!
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SmokyMist
18 years ago
Yep my hibiscus are one of the last plants to get leaves in the late spring.

Cheryl
DeltaTropicsGuy
18 years ago
When you yall's sprout back up?
rizzir
18 years ago
And what about the variegated Hibiscus someone gave me at the ETN swap? From what I've read it's only hardy starting at Zone 9... I guess this means the giver must dig hers up each fall and take it in? I am planning a tropicals garden, so I was planning on having to do this anyway with others, but I don't want to leave anything sitting out that should have been taken in.
amazondoc
18 years ago
The variegated ones I know about are all tropical, so it'll have to go inside for the winter.
cboak
8 years ago
I know this is an old post. I just didn't want to start a new thread for basically the same thing.

I also rescued my "Apricot Hibiscus" from Lowes an live in Middle Tennessee. I got mine this summer(just a few months ago). It's been blooming and doing wonderful with the care and the pot I put it in. I've been really worried about what I should do this winter. The tag reads "Cold Hardiness Zone 10(40-30*F). NON-Hardy in zones 1-9".

Do I have a "Non-Hardy" Hibiscus and will have to take it in each winter?

I'm going to make a small "green house" for some of my other small plants to try and give then a better start/jump start for next year. Would a Hibiscus survive in a small green house over winter?

Thank you all for your time!
tndaisy
8 years ago
Sounds like a tropical hibiscus to me/non hardy. I would bring it inside the house if it were mine. In fact, you should have it inside by now....
mountaingrown
8 years ago
I rooted a few cutting of the Confederate Rose Hibiscus (in April) which is fairly popular in the deep south and they grew into 3 large flowering bushes 10 feet tall. The blooms were beautiful. In the early morning the blooms are white and around mid day the blooms change to pick and by evening they turn red. Quite a show for any plant.They bloom late , late in the season Mid October (Late for Plateau Gardeners) but luckily no freezes until recently.
Anne Corliss
3 years ago
I don't know what kind of hibiscus I have. Can it be planted in the ground in east Tennessee? They gave been outside all winter for the last 2 years and have survived. The flowers are pink.
TNflowerlover Zone 7a
3 years ago
Anne, can you post a pic?
HU-675133524
3 years ago
Can you plant a Rosa-Sinensis/Hibiscus outside and now? I live in s/e Tn the only thing on tag I saved is temp 65-75F 18-24C or visit BloomIQ but unable to get anywhere on that.
K A
2 years ago
I would think that if someone bought a plant in zone 5 for example, it would be a Hardy variety. I planted my plant last year, and it looks dead now. I'm still going to wait. Everything else is showing a return.

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