I have a planted Hibiscus that for the last 2 years has not grown at all. It's a young plant and over the winter it gets black spots on its leaves (due to the colder weather I understand) so by Spring I am starting over with a virtually bare plant. This year in an attempt to get it going I added a bunch of compost, fertilized it with Osmocote Plus, added some gypsum (as we have clay soil here) and kept the soil moist. It's in a full sun location.

All around my neighborhood there are HUGE hibiscus plants which are glorious but I can't get mine to even grow let alone flower!!

Any ideas?

Sallyjano, are you talking about a Perennial Hibiscus or a Rose of Sharon or a tropical Hibiscus? Need some direction so I can reply.

I wonder if your "Hibiscus" might be a different species than the large ones you see in your neighborhood? Knowing a general location and seeing a photo of the plant may help in determining what the issue might be.

Hi there thanks for your input. I got it at Home Depot and I think it's the one below and it says Perennial Hibiscus. I'm at work right now but will add a photo later.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/On...

Not sure where your at but hibiscus are very fergiving, especialy in the south. I have the same one an it's a tropical. At least i thank it is. Hibiscus like acidic soil.

Stunning! I'm so jealous!!

That Home Depot ad is for Fiesta Hibiscus, Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Fiesta') which is a perennial shrub.


You said that the leaves of your Hibiscus get black spots during cold weather and you end up with a bare plant by spring. That leads me to believe that you live in a part of the country that experiences cold, wet winters which is not conducive for the long-term health and longevity of a Tropical Hibiscus. Your neighbors may very well be growing a hardier species of Hibiscus, one that would be more conducive to your growing zone.

A photo showing the leaves of your plant and a photo showing the leaves and flowers of one of the shrubs in your neighborhood can help determine if they are indeed the same type but I have a feeling that they are entirely different species.

Firstly thanks so much for trying to help me out here! Here is a picture of my plant. Very sad looking. At the beginning of the season it wasn't growing at all so I fertilized it and it put out some growth (including a few buds but they fell off) but then it didn't keep growing.

Regarding my location - no that's not the case. I live in SoCal, zone 10a.

I will get some pics of neighbors plants tomorrow. I think where exactly but I know I've seen people growing this same plant nearby.

Sallyjano, that one appears to be a Rose of Sharon, which needs more room to grow.
It may take a couple years to take off. There might be a problem with the roots of the other tree is my guess. We deal with this issue with several of ours. The ones we have in full sun do awesome, just give them some space.

Roses of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) are winter deciduous so having a bare plant in spring would be normal.

Thanks for those who have weighed in. It's not a Roses of Sharon for sure. It looks identical to the one ZetaZ posted above so I'm sure it's a Fiesta Hibiscus.

Figured I'd send out an update on my Hibiscus - I figured out the problem! I added something to lower the soil PH and bingo - started growing within a week or two and now it's doing pretty well! I know hibiscus like acidic soil so I should have tried that earlier. Anyway thanks to those who posted trying to help

Your mor'un welcome, now when it blooms be sure an post a pitcher..