Hibiscus moscheutos 'Tahi2025' CAROUSEL GHOST swamp mallow, hardy hibiscus

GHOST is a funny name to be given to a plant but it fits! Its large flowers are pure white and if you wonder how the breeder may have come up with the brand name, picture this: a bunch of school kids on Halloween cover themselves with plain white bedsheets, who are they impersonating? Yes, you got it – ghosts, of course! This hardy hibiscus makes large, 15-18 cm across, pure white flowers that lack a typical maroon eye in the centre which is very unique for any hibiscus species. They come out from about mid August until early autumn.

Moreover, these flowers lay on the background of very dark foliage creating an eye-catching contrast. The leaves are deep maroon, deciduous, palmately divided mostly into 3 large lobes and 2 small ones, and turn golden yellow and amber orange with purple pink veins and margins in autumn. Stems are dark purple and grow slightly over a meter high in regular garden soil, and about 1.5m or even more in evenly moist to wet (boggy) soil with enough nutrients.

That’s because hardy hibiscus is dependent on regular water and feed supply. If you want more flowers for an extended blooming period use fertilizers with enough phosphorus for abundant flowering, or any other quick-release fertilizers where nitrogen is not predominant. Any fertilizing has to stop by end September.

For healthy growth and profuse flowering it needs a sunny location with a lot of moisture which, apart from regular watering, can be achieved by good mulching – never let it dry out in summer. The soil must be fertile and can be partially clay-based. Hardiness has not been tested under all possible conditions but is expected to reach at least -27 °C (USDA zone 5b). Cut back the plant only a few centimetres above ground level in spring after all frosts.

Last update 14-08-2024