Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Valentine's Crush Hardy Hibiscus: Dinner-Plate Red for Wet Ground
Save
Valentine's Crush hardy hibiscus is not subtle. Its bright cherry red flowers open fully flat at 7 to 8 inches across, spaced up and down a narrow, upright column about 5 feet tall. In full sun the big oval leaves take on a dark bronze cast, which makes the red glow even more.
It is a perennial that dies to the ground each winter and comes back, so you get tropical-looking flowers in a Michigan garden without bringing anything indoors.
Valentine's Crush at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hibiscus 'Valentine's Crush' |
| Flowers | Bright cherry red, 7 to 8 inches across, opening flat |
| Foliage | Large oval leaves, green with a dark bronze cast in sun |
| Size | About 5 feet tall and 3½ feet wide |
| Bloom | Starts mid-July, peaks mid-August, long blooming |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 4 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun; part shade tolerated |
| Wildlife | Great for pollinators and hummingbirds; moderately deer resistant |
How it fits a lavender garden
Hardy hibiscus and lavender share a love of hot sun and nothing else. Hibiscus comes from wetland parents and wants soil that never dries out for long; lavender wants its roots dry. Put a hibiscus in the lavender bed and you will either drown the lavender or parch the hibiscus.
Instead, use the difference. Many properties have a low spot by a downspout or at the bottom of a slope. That is the hibiscus spot. Plant your lavender on the higher, drier ground above it, and the view from one to the other gives you purple in early summer and huge red flowers from midsummer on. Its narrow, columnar shape also works as a summer screen at the back of a moist border. Map the wet and dry zones in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Light: full sun for the most flowers.
- Soil: poor to fertile is fine, as long as it stays consistently moist.
- Water: do not let it dry out for long. Leaves wilt and flowering slows in hot, dry spells.
- Structure: sturdy stems resist flopping, so no staking is usually needed.
- Pests: Japanese beetles, aphids and sawfly larvae are more common than disease. Check leaves in July.
- Cleanup: cut the woody stems back to a few inches in late fall or early spring.
The spring wait
Every year someone decides their hibiscus died. It almost certainly did not. Hardy hibiscus is very late to emerge, often not until late May or June. Mark the spot with a stake so you do not dig into it while it is still asleep, and be patient.
Formats offered
Valentine's Crush is offered as a full 72-cell plug tray for growers and large plantings, and as a bare root plant for setting directly into a home border. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as a tropical hibiscus?
No. It is a hardy perennial rated for zones 4 to 9 that stays in the ground year round.
Can I cut the flowers?
They are not good cut flowers; each bloom lasts a short time. Enjoy them on the plant.
Share how it went in your field