• Image of Hibiscus 'Summer Carnival' PP 31,587 taken at Walters Gardens, MI by T. Avent
  • Image of Hibiscus 'Summer Carnival' PP 31,587 taken at Walters Gardens, MI
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Hibiscus 'Summer Carnival' PP 31,587

Summer Carnival Variegated Hardy Mallow

2 Reviews
| 3 answered questions

Item #: 13724

Zones: 4a to 9b

Dormancy: Winter

Height: 42" tall

Culture: Sun to Part Sun

Origin: United States Hybrid

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


$25.00
$25.00
Sale Sold out
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Oh my...a variegated, winter-hardy native hibiscus...heart stand still! I'll never forget when I first saw this amazing plant during a trip to Michigan's Walters Gardens. This Hans Hansen creation was something even I couldn't imagine. The narrowly upright 3.5' tall x 5' wide clump of Hibiscus 'Summer Carnival' is clothed in tripartite green leaves, each edged with an irregular, narrow band white. Even the flower buds are striped white and green, before opening into 8" wide cherry red flowers. In climates with cooler nights, the variegated foliage picks up an incredible red flush. The variegation increases with maturity. If your plant arrives without variegation, let it get established in the ground and the variegation will eventually appear. Cutting the plant to the ground can speed up the process. As with all native hibiscus, Hibiscus 'Summer Carnival' can be grown as a marginal aquatic or in all but the driest of garden soils.

Maintenance:

Hibiscus 'Summer Carnival' is a very low maintenance perennial, provided they are growing in the proper conditions. When the plants go dormant in winter, the stalks remain upright and sturdy. We prefer to leave them to give birds a place to perch. The structure also helps the garden remain much more interesting in winter than a flat carpet of brown mulch.

Hibiscus sawfly is the #1 pest of most hibiscus, causing skeletonized leaves. These can be treated with a beneficial bacteria product like Dipel, which contains BT bacillus.

Growing Conditions:

Hibiscus like 'Summer Carnival' grow naturally in standing shallow water, although they are quite drought tolerant for short period. The drier the soil, the more the plants will be stressed, which increases the severity of insect damage.

Garden Value:

Perennial hardy hibiscus add an upright garden form to the garden, as well as summer flowering when many spring perennials have finished flowering or gone dormant. Also, there are few plants with such a floral show that tolerates wet soil.

Natural Impacts:

Bees are the primarily pollinators of all of the herbaceous, hardy hibiscus.