Hibiscus Moscheutos Rose Mallow is Bringing Disco Back...to Your Garden



Posted: Tuesday, October 06, 2009

by
tn nursery

It's not often you find a shrub, tree, or flowering plant that captures the essence and spirit of a generation. But if you're looking to bring the highlights and roaring lifestyle of the 70's to your garden, along with a little tropical flare, then there's no better plant for you than the Hibiscus Moscheutos Rose Mallow.

Often referred to as the Disco Belle Pink, this hardy little Hibiscus can grow as high as two and a half feet tall, and has enormous flowers, reaching up to nine inches in diameter, or roughly the size of a dinner plate! What's more, these phenomenal beauties can be found in the United States, in St. Louis, Missouri of all places. These flowers are most often a brilliant, near fluorescent pink color a center that ranges from deep pink to bright red. The best thing about this particular plant is that while each of the flowers individually lives for only one to two days, each day sees the blossoming of several more flowers, so you are able to enjoy the beauty and wonder of these gargantuan flowers all throughout the growing season.

But Hibiscus Moscheutos Rose Mallow has some inherent issues that the responsible gardener must be ready and willing to deal with in order to keep this plant alive, blooming and beautiful from first planting through the entire life of the plant. First, while this hardy hibiscus is able to tolerate any type of garden soil, that soil must always be kept moist or the plant will not be able to create enough nutrients. Additionally, while this particular plant can live in some shade, it does best when it is planted in areas with full sun that are well ventilated and provide good circulation for the air. Wind can harm the delicate, beautiful blooms on this plant as well as its leaves and stems, so it is important to keep this Hibiscus in an area that is protected from strong winds.

The excellent thing about Hibiscus Moscheutos Rose Mallow is that is does not suffer from any serious diseases or insect issues. If it is not properly cared for it may become susceptible to blight, rust, leaf spots and cenker. And Japanese beetles, a frequent "house guest" of this plant, can cause sever damage to the leaves if you leave the plant without proper care and watching over.

Like most Hibiscus, this plant blooms from July to September. But this one can be grown in most growing zones including Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

Be careful if you happen upon this plant in the wild. Hibiscus Moscheutos Rose Mallow is considered protected to a degree in Canada and is also a wetland plant in most areas of the United States.

If you choose to plant this lovely little Hibiscus, remember to take good care of it. It not only will bring back the best memories you have (or movie moments you watched) of the 70s but it will also create new, fond memories of your garden's heyday.

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