Blackberry Merlot has some of the deepest red flowers among hardy hibiscus. The 8-inch blooms are a rich, velvety wine red, held above a tight, upright plant of deep green leaves.
It grows 4 to 4½ feet tall and 3½ to 4 feet wide, flowering from midsummer into early fall. It makes a strong centerpiece in a bright, sunny garden and a bold late-season color when many perennials are winding down.
What it looks like
A tight, upright bush 48 to 54 inches tall and 42 to 48 inches wide with deep green, broad leaves. Flowers are about 8 inches across, saucer-shaped with smooth, overlapping petals in rich, velvety deep red with a slightly darker center. Blooms sit at and above the top of the foliage. At peak the dark green bush is crowned with large, glowing wine red flowers.
Growing it with lavender
It shares lavender's love of sun but not its dry feet, so give it a spot in a moist, regularly watered bed or rain garden instead.
Care
Plant in full sun for the most flowers; part shade is tolerated. It grows in poor to fertile soil but needs consistent moisture and should never dry out for long; hardy in zones 4-9. It is slow to wake up in spring, so mark the spot, and cut the old stems to the ground in late fall or early spring.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Hibiscus
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Flower color: Deep velvety red
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Foliage: Deep green
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Growth habit: Tight, upright bush
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Mature size: 4 ft–54 in tall × 42 in–4 ft wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade
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Bloom start: Mid-July
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Peak bloom: Mid-August
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Bloom pattern: Long Blooming
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Deer resistance: Moderately resistant
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Pollinator value: Great
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly. Hardy hibiscus arrives fully dormant and is one of the last perennials to wake up: expect no new growth until late May or June. That is normal, so plant it, water lightly and be patient.
Shipping note: Emerges late; dormant crowns look lifeless in spring until growth starts in late May or June.
Lavender companion · grow guide
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