Marshmallow Moon offers a solid white hardy hibiscus in a well-behaved size. The 6- to 6½-inch pure white flowers have thick petals that stand up better to wind and rain, and buds form along the full stem for a high flower count.
The plant grows 3 to 3½ feet tall and about 4 feet wide with dark green leaves, much tidier than older white types. It starts blooming earlier and continues from midsummer into early fall. Use it as a statement plant in a sunny, moist bed.
What it looks like
A tidy, rounded plant 36 to 42 inches tall and about 48 inches wide with dark green leaves. Flowers are 6 to 6½ inches across, saucer-shaped, pure white throughout with thick, substantial petals. Blooms open along the full length of the stems. At peak the dark green mound is covered with crisp, bright white flowers.
Growing it with lavender
Full sun suits it, but its thirst for steady moisture puts it in a watered border, pond edge or rain garden rather than beside lavender.
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: Pure white
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Foliage: Dark green
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Growth habit: Tidy, rounded mound
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Mature size: 36–42 in tall × 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: Early-July
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Peak bloom: Early-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.