Perfect Storm brings dark foliage to a hardy hibiscus that stays about 3 feet tall, a size that fits smaller gardens. Its huge 7- to 8-inch white flowers have a bright red eye that radiates along the veins, and the petals are edged in pink.
The plant spreads 4½ to 5 feet wide and blooms from late summer into early fall. It still makes a strong centerpiece in a sunny garden.
What it looks like
A low, wide mound about 36 inches tall and 54 to 60 inches across of dark-toned leaves. Flowers are 7 to 8 inches across, white with light pink petal edges and a bright red eye whose color streaks out along the veins. Blooms are held over the top and sides of the mound. At peak the dark plant is dotted with large white-and-pink flowers with red centers.
Growing it with lavender
Grow it in a sunny spot with steady moisture, such as a rain garden or the back of a watered border, rather than in lean lavender soil.
Care
Give it full sun to bring out the darkest leaf color. It grows in poor to fertile soil but needs consistent moisture; hardy in zones 4-9. It emerges late in spring, so mark its spot, and cut 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: White with pink edges and a bright red eye
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Foliage: Dark
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Growth habit: Low, wide mound
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Mature size: 36 in tall × 54 in–5 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: Late-July
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Peak bloom: Late-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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