A sign that warmer weather is not so far away!
I have no less than three large Hibiscus plants, and such is standard practice; they get moved indoors whenever the weather turns cold. Trust me, living in Michigan; there is never any shortage of cold weather. It’s been a long winter, and my Hibiscus plants are looking forward to being moved outdoors. It never fails; when there are signs of Spring, the Hibiscus plants start to adorn the stores nearby. This is the main reason I have three, and probably the number one reason I will add another Hibiscus plant this year.
The botanical name of this plant is Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, which in Latin means “the rose of China.” It is essential to note this plant is not related to true roses. This small flowering tree has many cultivated variants the world over. This flowering plant/tree is native to tropical and subtropical zones, so I equate seeing these mostly in Southwest Florida. I have countless pictures of these in their native habitat.
Besides the beauty of the flower and the promise of warmer weather, these lovely plants attract butterflies and hummingbirds. I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see a few hummingbirds hanging around your Hibiscus trees. With that comes a few negatives in the form of pesky squirrels. We had one such pest last year that took a liking to one of our plants. It was a significant task to prevent this critter from destroying our tree, as you may be able to tell from the makeshift cast.
Important Facts:
Chinese hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia.
These plants are primarily used to bring a tropical feel to one’s garden.
Hibiscus requires ample sunlight (At least six hours a day). Not enough sunlight means a reduced amount of flowers.
These plants can tolerate winters no less than 50F. Definitely no outdoor winters in Michigan. (Indoor winters in Michigan demonstrated below)
All I can say is I can’t wait for the first bloom of warmer weather.
