plasko20, that is beautiful!! Thank you for sharing. Ours opened half way but it was red. So, I'll be watching for the next bloom with camera in hand.

She was wide open today and she is the Hottest pink with red center. Breath taking!! With the variegation it really stands out!!

I agree. To think I had planned to rip mine out and toss it on the compost heap.
Now I am in love.

plasko20, just give her a few years to show off!!

I saw three new variety of hibiscus called moon shadow.

DraDiana said: @Cannnunnal

Is this Xeramtheum under a new account or are you actually a new member?
I trade seeds, but don't have Plum Crazy. Many of the Hardy Hibiscus Hybrids don't self pollinate, and even if they do, the offspring may or may not resemble the parent plant. (Pink Elephant is an example of one that self pollinates, but has consistently disappointing offspring.)
Maybe someone else has Plum Crazy, or can share a link where to order it.

Thank you for that info about hibiscus hybrids not self-pollinating. I didn't know that. Many years ago I collected seed from a large pink hibiscus that I admired that was growing in a public garden. I grew about 6 plants from that seed. Five of them were pink, and one was a large white one. I had to move, so I only have two left ( pink ones). Each year after blooming I've eagerly waited and watched for them to produce a seed pod, but they never did. Maybe I'll try planting a different variety, and see if they'll pollinate. If not, maybe I'll try to reproduce them by cuttings. Thanks for the info about the lack of self-pollination. I wonder, though, how the original plant that I collected the seed from had managed to produce so much fertile seed.

@MoeOC
The older (less removed from the wild parent varieties) cultivars are usually self fertile. The newer varieties that are not self fertile will still readily cross pollinate other cultivars to make viable seed, so planting another variety is a good idea. You can cross pollinate them yourself with a cotton tipped swab (in case your bees are lazy), and get more seeds. Some tips are:
1. Pollinate early before the pollen dries out.
2. Pick days that top out at less than 90 degrees.
3. Water frequently and generously while buds, flowers and seed pods are developing.
Have fun!

My first hardy hibiscus bloomed today, albeit a Hibiscus syriacus.


My other hardy/perennial hibs that are left (after two years of drought and neglect by me) have buds. We're entering a few days of rain, so I'm sure those buds will grow more rapidly now.

I haven't seen bud on my hardy Hibiscus yet. My first bloom is usually in early July.

Local ace store had an adore and blush so I took them both home.

DraDiana said:
I haven't seen bud on my hardy Hibiscus yet. My first bloom is usually in early July.

Mine was admittedly kind of a cheat, since it was technically a shrub hibiscus vs. a perennial one.

My first hardy hibiscus proper bloomed on June 21 last year, but we're getting lots of rain this week...so maybe sooner. I lost a lot of them (drought+neglect=dead hibs), and I only plan to replace Holy Grail (bought already).

I'm going to try my hand at growing from seeds. Not this spring/summer though...I'm still working on all those weeds.

The Jberry website has much of their summer spice line of hibiscus for sale now.

I noticed that this year's Summer Spice Creme de la Creme and Plum Flambe both have much more rigidly upright stems. They've been growing here for...I honestly don't know..., maybe 3 years for SSPF and 5 years for SSCdlC.

My Creme de la Creme has had decent stems all along. My Plum Flambe is gonna be wimpy again this year.

My first hardy hibiscus flower this year is on Hibiscus laevis. 🎆 😁 🎇

Summer Carnival being weird again this year.
Almost July and about a 2" tall skinny little stalk.

The others are not as big as last year either. Fewer stalks overall.
And this is after using my special food on them.

It is a very weird gardening year. That and a lot of dead perennials and shrubs because of the cold snap we had in Spring. Crape Myrtle - dead. Double Knockout rose tree - dead, butterfly bush - dead, black and yellow grasses - dead, other rose bushes massive die-off but hanging in there, same for a lot of azaleas and rhodies, lots of death within each plant (some up to 75% of branches), but signs of life persist. Same for heucheras. Even vinca minor had a massive die-off.

I am beginning to find out who the tough plants really are. I should be thankful the hibiscus came back at all, really. for lots of blooms in Summer to make up for a poor Spring.

My first hybrid hardy hibiscus bloom of 2023 was on Honeymoon Deep Red. This is the only survivor of the 6 (or was it 8?) Honeymoon series hibs that I had. The rest (along with both my H. mosceutos Incanus, H. Rubrum, most of my Peppermint Flares and all but one of my Luna series hibs) died of root rot over this past warm, wet winter. So...I'm psyched to see this one.

That lives up to its name.