Blooming Hibiscus

Our Master Gardner has become quite interested in hibiscus and we have several varieties in the back yard of “Fawnview Ranch.”  They are beautiful and enhance the other plantings; giving the yard a tropical look.  

Ruffled Satin, Rose of Sharon has large, ruffled pink  
flowers that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. It is one of the Proven Winner plants selected by horticulturists to give a lot of color without a lot of work. Adaptable to most well-drained soils, it may be trimmed in late winter or early spring and likes a controlled release fertilizer in the spring. 

Sugar Tip, Rose of Sharon is the only variegated Rose of Sharon that blooms.  The soft pink flower reminds one of a peony bloom. They show up in late summer but you have the crisp variegated foliage all summer long. Like other varieties it is deer resistant and attracts both humming birds and butterflies. Prune in fall/winter and avoid very wet or dry soil.

Hibiscus Rosa-sinensis or Chinese hibiscus is the one I am holding here.  This one happens to have double flowers that range from orange, red orange or red on the same bush. It is a large shrub that can get up to 15 ft. tall in frost free climates. It usually grows as a bush with many stems.  Flowers are up to 6 in. in diameter and most are flared with a bell shape. It likes full sun or partial shade with a fairly moist soil.

 According to one article I found, Chinese Hibiscus has: expectorant, antipyretic, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, emollient, laxative, refrigerant, emmenagogue, and aphrodisiac properties.   Hard to believe…. but who can doubt “the internet.”   It also has a flavonoid known as cyaniding, which has antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory qualities. 

This single red blooming hibiscus is a tropical hibiscus that was purchased from Joshua's Nursery during the Garden Club field trip last spring. It is covered with blooms and the hummingbirds love it.

Tony Avent Presents

 Tony Avent, owner of Juniper Level Botanic Garden and Plants Delights Nursery presented a wonderful presentation at the Mercer Botanical Garden's 40th Anniversary  Distinguished Lecture Series 'Exceptional Natives' (many of them found in Texas).  

If you were not there, you missed an EXCEPTIONAL presentation.  Tony has  a collection of 22,000 plants.  You can request a catalog at 

www.plantdelights.com. 

You can also like him on facebook and see many photo's of some of his current blooming plants. 

Plant Delights Nursery is a family-owned nursery since 1988 which offers unique, rare, well-grown, and properly-named perennials to passionate gardeners around the world.

Here is a native found in Bastrop -   Baptisia leucophaea     'Butterball'.

Firebush (Humming Bird Plant)

(scientific name: Hamelia patens)

This plant is featured in the Sept. Norchester Garden Club Horticulture report that our Master Gardner publishes each month except June, July, and August.   











These reports may be found at
THIS LINK  which displays all the past reports as well. Just choose the month you want to view, print or download, click on its blue underlined link and it will open the PDF file.   




You may also get to this same list of all reports by clicking on the first option under "Useful Links We Like" on the right hand side of this blog.