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With its name alone, it exudes a touch of tropical exoticism - the hibiscus. With an intense blaze of color and lush flowers, it enriches numerous gardens with this exotic touch. But be careful, as with many other tropical plants, the question arises as to whether the hibiscus is sufficiently hardy for our latitudes. The answer to this, as well as much more information about hibiscus plants in winter can be found here.
Is hibiscus hardy?
Whether the marshmallow, as the exotic plant is called in German, survives the winter depends on various factors:
- the sort
- The site
- The care"
Hardy hibiscus varieties
The family of hibiscus plants consists of over one hundred species, which can differ significantly not only in appearance but also in their winter hardiness. Some species actually only survive in tropical or at least subtropical climate conditions in the long run. Other hibiscus species, on the other hand, are conditionally hardy and only survive typical European winters with good care. Finally, there are only a few common varieties that can rightly be described as actually hardy:
- Garden marshmallow (bot. Hibiscus Syiacus), is considered frost-resistant down to approx. -20 °C
Popular Varieties:- Hamabo
- Russian Violet
- Pink Giant
- Blue chiffon
- Marsh marshmallow (bot. Hibiscus moscheutus)
- Almond Loaf (bot. Hibiscus Mutabilis), hardy to about -15 °C
- Hourly Flower (bot. Hibiscus Trionum)
- Perennial hibiscus, see separate section
In addition to these hibiscus species, which are available almost everywhere, there are also numerous other varieties that are offered for cultivation in individual cases. It is worth taking a closer look and, if necessary, consulting the seller in order to obtain information about the winter hardiness of the specific species.
Hibiscus Syiacus, garden marshmallow 'Hamabo'
location
Especially with only partially hardy hibiscus varieties you should pay special attention to the location. Because a sheltered location can easily let the hibiscus survive the winter, while the same plant becomes a victim of the deep frost without protection. These aspects when choosing a location help to improve winter hardiness:
- Protection against the wind by planting on walls or buildings, as well as on the leeward side
- Sunny location for better heat yield in winter
- Proximity to heat-emitting buildings such as residential buildings
- Protection through shielding plants, for example through neighboring shrubs and perennials
Other measures
In addition to choosing a favorable location, other measures can of course be taken to protect only partially frost-resistant hibiscus varieties from winter cold:
- Covering the root system with brushwood or coconut mats to protect against the cold
- Pack above-ground plant parts with a coconut mat, bubble wrap or similar elements that protect against the cold
- Cover soil over root ball to protect against excess moisture
- Water only moderately or not at all to prevent damage to the root system from freezing water
tip: Even if the hibiscus is to enrich the bed all year round alongside other garden plants, keeping it in a pot can make sense. Because potted plants can easily be relocated to a more sheltered location at low temperatures. For example, marshmallows that are only partially winter-resistant can be grown as a decoration in your own garden for several years and brought to bloom every year.
Overwinter potted plants
While a non-hardy hibiscus has no place in the plant bed, it can spend the warm months outdoors in a plant pot. In order for the plants to survive the critical winter period unscathed, they should move to their winter quarters when the temperatures drop to near the frost line:
- Bright location not in direct sunlight
- Temperatures around 15 °C to 18 °C
- Keep the soil moist, avoiding waterlogging
- Maintain a moderate supply of nutrients, since photosynthesis is reduced in the winter quarters, but not stopped
Important: After a successful hibernation, potted plants should not be left in the winter quarters for too long. Otherwise there is a risk of premature and intensive budding. As a result, prematurely formed young shoots could suffer from the then unprotected environment after moving outdoors.
Winter protection in rearing
In principle, the protective measures for only moderately hardy plants do not differ between mature plants and saplings. Only the susceptibility to particularly low temperatures is significantly higher in young plants than in their already fully developed conspecifics. Hobby gardeners should therefore pay particular attention to young plants in the first winter so that they can develop further in the following year and build up their full frost resistance.
Special case perennial hibiscus
The so-called perennial hibiscus occupies a certain special position. In contrast to most other species, it is a herbaceous plant that sheds all above-ground components over the winter and only sprouts again in spring. As a result, this hibiscus can easily withstand temperatures below -30 °C and is therefore considered extremely hardy. Special protective measures are not necessary. It only makes sense to cover the root ball with brushwood or straw in particularly exposed locations and extreme frosts. Otherwise, it is sufficient to cut off and remove the stems that died in winter to encourage new growth in spring.