Head Over Heels® Passion™ Hibiscus

Bright, vivid pink blooms combined with blood-red foliage – no wonder the Head Over Heels® Passion™ Hibiscus is captivating hot-blooded gardeners. This brilliant plant is one of the first hardy hibiscus to feature colored foliage, a real breakthrough compared to the normal green leaves. The blooms are 6 inches across, more like tropical hibiscus than the small flowers the hardy version used to offer. They are spectacular, a most gorgeous pink, decorated with a deep-red central eye spot, and you can expect at least 2 months of blooms, through June and July, and probably more as late as fall, if you do some trimming or dead-heading. The large lobed leaves are flushed with deep burgundy-red, and make a great backdrop to the flowers, while also bringing color and interest when it isn’t in bloom. A fabulous feature on a lawn, in your shrub beds or in a planter box, it stands 4 feet tall by the end of the first season, and in warmer zones will probably double that size after a few years. A great choice for color impact anywhere in the country.

• Big blossoms of brilliant pink, with a crimson central eye
• Blooms abundantly right from late spring through summer
• Rich burgundy foliage adds interest when it isn’t blooming
• Brings hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden
• A hot choice for your garden hot spots

Plant the Head Over Heels® Passion™ Hibiscus in full sun if you want the most blooms, but it will also grow in a little shade if it must. It grows well in all types of soil, from regular garden soils to heavy clay, as well as in wet conditions and right in shallow water. It is also drought tolerant, but will grow best if given a deep soaking from time to time during dry periods. It grows well in cooler zones, but also enjoys the heat and humidity of the south-east. In zones 5 and possibly 6, there may be some winter die-back, but since it blooms on new wood that isn’t a serious issue. This variety has excellent resistance to most significant diseases, and is rarely troubled by pests. Prune in spring, cutting right to the ground to keep it more compact, or pruning out thin, weak branches, and shortening back the strong ones, to develop a larger shrub.