Summerific® 'French Vanilla' Perennial Hibiscus
Perennial
- Refreshing extra-large white flowers in summer!
- Contrasting purple-black foliage.
- Cold-hardy hibiscus with weeks of showy blooms.
- Low maintenance and easy to grow.
- Zones 4-9, sun, 4' tall x 4' wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Patent: USPP 33181
Common name: Hibiscus, perennial hibiscus, swamp mallow, rose mallow
Zone: 4 - 9
Sun exposure: Sun (> 6 hours sun)
Height x width: 3.5 - 4' tall and 3-3.5' wide
Flower color: White & Yellow
Foliage color: Purple
Season of interest: Summer
Boom time: Midsummer, late summer, early fall
Features: rain gardens, Proven Winners, heat tolerant, deer resistant, cold tolerant
Uses: Flower gardens, landscaping, specimen, flowering hedge
How to Grow
Light: Full sun (> 6 hours sun) is best.
Water: Average to high.
Space: 3 -3.5 feet
Fertilizing: Fertilize in early spring, once the ground has thawed, with a granular rose fertilizer.
Winterizing: No special treatment is required; Stems can be cut off once the plant has gone dormant in late autumn as they do not add any considerable interest. 2-3" of mulch is recommended.
Maintenance: Little needed. Perennial hibiscus is one of the very last plants to emerge each spring. Be patient! Once they begin to show buds, they will start to grow quickly.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
Bought 8 of these plants and they are all growing well. One of the plants had buds on it when I received it and it bloomed today. Such a pretty flower!
It’s doing very well so far!! Probably have to wait until next year for blooms but that’s ok I know it needs all its energy to get through the winter here. But leaves are green and plentiful!! Update!! There are blooms several of them for such a little plant !! As you’ll see very healthy!!
Like many mail order plants they are often less mature than nursery stock. The first summer it put out one flower. It died to the ground over winter but be patient in spring as it was real slow to come up. This year it is blooming nicely!
Planted this during this summer and got one beautiful flower out of it. It’s still young but what a wonderful addition to the family.
Arrived very healthy. Planted right away. Doing great. New buds on 1 of them. Looks promising.
It died didn’t
We're sorry you're having trouble with your plants. Our team of horticulture experts would love to take a closer look! Please contact us with your order number and photos of the plants so we can better assist you. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping!
I received my plants in the next day. I planted them. I'm not sure how things are going to be yet because even with watering and planting in good soil they're both looking not so good.
Hello! We're sorry that you're having trouble with your plants. Please email pictures of the plants to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible.
The plant was too small to be sold. Pretty much a loss.
Hello! We're sorry that you're having trouble with your plant. We do note that all of our plants are young on each product page and on our plant sizes page https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/sizes.The size and maturity of the plants varies widely depending on the time of the year you purchased and if they were recently trimmed. The important thing when it comes to purchasing plants, whether online or in a garden center, is that they have a full, robust root system, and that's what we prioritize in our greenhouses. The more roots a plant has, the more energy it can put into growing once it is planted in your garden. We do keep our plants trimmed to encourage strong root development! Please email pictures of the plants to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible.
It’s just start to bloom. At this point there are only a few flowers but they are beautiful.
My plant looked very stressed when it arrived. I did everything that I was instructed to do. I planted it in the ground when I was instructed to, and it definitely looks “dead”. However,
A stem did not “snap” off, it was still a bit pliable,so I am hoping it will come up fine in the spring:)
Hello Christina!
It is likely your plant experienced some temperature shock during shipping as the temperatures cool down. It is likely with proper care and planting it will have no issues returning next year. Feel free to send pictures our way to [email protected] so we can look at your plant further! Your hibiscus plants are covered under our warranty until 5/31/2022. If you find next spring they don't return let us know and we'll be happy to send you replacements or issue you a refund. Let us know if you have any other questions, let us know!
The plant arrived in beautiful shape. Nice and healthy. I cannot wait until next year to see if it will produce the pretty cream color flowers, along with my white, read and pink hibiscus.
Great place to shop. Plants arrived early and good shape. Definitely recommended.
Does the French Vanilla Hibiscus arrive Bare Root ready for planting. Thanks Bob
Hello there! We ship young plants that are potted in one quart containers. We do not sell bare root plants.
I would like to plant them in ground post the summer heat - is that wise? Will it survive to grow back in spring. I am in Zone 8b (75002). Have calcerous clay.
Hello! As long as you plant at least 6 weeks before the first hard frost of fall in your area, you should be good to grow!
Hi, I am considering buying this plant and some other perennials to plant this fall, in Wisconsin. Your guarantee seems to only cover 60 days? So, if the plants do not come back in the spring, are they not covered? Thank you. Vicki
Hello! We have an extended fall warranty that you can view here:
What is the Latin name, please?
The botanical name for perennial hibiscus is Hibiscus moscheutos.
How do they do in planters? Thank you
They have very large, fleshy root systems, so do not do as well in containers as most perennials. You could try it for 2-3 seasons and then move into the ground for best results.