Hibiscus 'Boule de Feu'

'Boule de Feu' is a large, well-branched, rough-and-ready shrub that deer leave alone, heat and humidity won't faze, and time only improves. Quickly reaching its mature size of 8 to 12 feet tall and about 10 feet wide, it cries out to be the showpiece of the sunny garden, surrounded by Echinacea, Astrantia, and Coreopsis paying their respects, or perhaps towering above a carpet of long-blooming Daylilies. Beginning in midsummer and continuing without a pause until the seriously cold weather of autumn sets in, 'Boule de Feu' is a garden workhorse, though you'd never guess it from these magnificent blooms!

The shrub form of Hibiscus is called Rose of Sharon, and it has long been a mainstay of sunny gardens. It lends a tropical air to any setting, and is a great choice for poolside displays, butterfly or hummingbird gardens, a tall flowering hedge, specimen use, or perimeter plantings. The best flowering is in moist soil, but it stands up to hot, humid weather very nicely, its blooms swirling open dramatically each morning when the first rays of the sun reach them, then furling up tight at night. In warm climates it flowers tirelessly 'til frost, but even in the shorter seasons of zones 5 and 6, it will fill the garden with eye-catching color well into fall, extending the season of glory for your garden! Give this dependable classic a try, and we predict you will soon be landscaping a new flowering hedge or sunny accent planting to enjoy even more of its glorious color! Zones 5-9.