Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Summer Carnival Hardy Hibiscus: Variegated Leaves, Magenta Blooms
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Summer Carnival hardy hibiscus is a variegated hardy hibiscus that, unlike many variegated types, grows with good vigor and a nicely shaped form. Each green leaf is outlined with a narrow cream margin with a faint pink blush at the edge, and even the calyces are variegated.
From late summer into early fall, the upright, rounded bush is covered with saucer-shaped, dark magenta pink flowers about 7 inches across. That is a flower you can see from the road.
Summer Carnival at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hibiscus 'Summer Carnival' |
| Flowers | Dark magenta pink, about 7 inches across |
| Foliage | Green with narrow cream margins and a blush edge |
| Size | 48 to 54 inches tall, 60 to 66 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts late July, peaks late August, long blooming |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 4 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun for the most flowers; part shade tolerated |
| Wildlife | Great for pollinators and hummingbirds |
Sharing the sun, not the soil
Hardy hibiscus and lavender both love sun, but their feet could not be more different. Lavender wants to dry out; Summer Carnival should never dry out for long. Its parent species come from wetlands, which is why it handles humidity so well and sulks in drought.
The fix is placement. Plant it in a moist, regularly watered bed, a low spot or a rain garden within view of your lavender. Its timing is the real gift: lavender is done blooming by the time Summer Carnival hits its late-August peak, so the sunny side of the garden goes from purple spikes to giant magenta saucers. Plan both with the Companion Plant Planner.
Care through the year
- Spring: it is very late to emerge, often not until late May or June. Mark the spot and do not dig it up thinking it died.
- Summer: water consistently. Drought stress can brown the cream leaf margins.
- Soil: poor to fertile is fine as long as moisture is steady.
- Pests: Japanese beetles, aphids and sawfly larvae are the usual problems; leaf spot, rust and Botrytis can appear in wet seasons.
- Fall or spring: fully hardy in Michigan. Cut the woody stems back to a few inches in late fall or early spring.
A collector's plant
Variegated hardy hibiscus are often weak growers, so a vigorous, well-shaped one is something of a find. Use it as a specimen, at the back of a moist border or as the centerpiece of a pollinator garden.
Plug trays or bare root
Summer Carnival is offered as a 72-cell plug tray and as a bare root plant. See each product page for current availability, or the Wholesale Hub for tray and bare root orders.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as a tropical hibiscus?
No. Hardy hibiscus is a perennial that dies back each winter and returns in late spring, hardy in zones 4 to 9.
Do the flowers last in a vase?
Not well. Enjoy them on the plant.
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