Evening Rose Hardy Hibiscus: Plate-Sized Magenta for Late Summer

Evening Rose hardy hibiscus pairs hot magenta-pink flowers about 8 inches across with near-black foliage, so the blooms practically glow. The flowers have a softly puckered texture with deep red veining, and they are spread evenly from the top of the plant to the bottom. It grows into a round, dense bush about 4 feet tall and up to 5 feet wide, blooming for six weeks or more starting in early August.

It loves full sun like lavender, but it is thirsty. Steady moisture puts it in a watered border, a pond edge or a rain garden rather than right beside your lavender.

Evening Rose at a glance

How it fits a lavender garden

By August, most lavender has been cut and bundled, and a sunny garden can lose its punch. That is exactly when Evening Rose opens. Planted in a moist bed within view of the lavender, it carries the garden's color into late summer with flowers the size of a salad plate.

Keep the two apart at the root. Lavender rots in wet soil, and this hibiscus wilts in dry soil. A low spot that collects runoff, a rain garden or a border on the irrigation line all work well. Sketch both zones in the Companion Plant Planner so the water goes where it is wanted. It earned top marks in public garden trials, so it is worth giving it a good home.

Planting and care

• Sun: full sun brings out the darkest leaf color and the most flowers.
• Water: consistent moisture is the key. In hot spells, flowering slows and leaves wilt if the soil dries out.
• Soil: poor to fertile is fine as long as it does not dry out.
• Space: allow about 5 feet across.
• Pests: Japanese beetles, aphids and sawfly larvae are more common than disease. Check leaves in midsummer.
• Cleanup: cut the woody stems back to a few inches in late fall or early spring.

The late riser

Hardy hibiscus is one of the last perennials to emerge, often not until late May or June in Michigan. It is easy to assume it died over winter and dig it up by mistake. Put a stake or marker beside it in fall so you know where it is, and be patient. Once it starts, it grows fast.

Plug tray or bare root

Evening Rose is offered as a 72-cell plug tray, suited to growers and large plantings, and as a bare root plant for a single specimen. See each product page for current availability.

Frequently asked questions

Is this hibiscus really hardy in Michigan?

Yes. It is fully hardy and rated for zones 4 to 9. It dies to the ground in winter and returns from the roots.

Can I plant it in my lavender bed?

Not ideally. It needs much more water than lavender. Give it a moist spot nearby so the two share the view, not the soil.

Can I cut the flowers for a vase?

Each bloom lasts only a short time and does not hold up well cut. Enjoy them on the plant.

Keep exploring

• Evening Rose Hardy Hibiscus 72-Cell Plug Tray
• Evening Rose Hardy Hibiscus Bare Root Plant
• Companion Plant Library
• Companion Plant Planner
• Care Calendar