Hardy Hibiscus

Hardy hibiscus (swamp rose mallow) is the most dramatic perennial in the late-summer garden - enormous dinner-plate-sized flowers up to 12 inches across in shades of red, pink, white, and bicolor, on shrub-like plants. It is a native of wet meadows and tolerates conditions that would kill most perennials: saturated soils, clay, flooding. It emerges late in spring - don't panic when others are up and yours isn't.

The individual flowers last only one day, but a mature plant in full summer production carries many buds that open in succession. For cutting, harvest buds in the late afternoon just before they are about to open the following morning. The blooms will open indoors in a warm room and hold beautifully for their day.