All the Dirt on Gardening

Some plants just bring so much joy when they flower that they are irresistible! Five Star Hibiscus is one of those. The seeds are large and easy to start. The plants are perennial and given water and protection from late afternoon blazing sun, they are easy to keep growing for years and years. 5 Star Hibiscus among the peaches There is a white version but the red ones just shout out from their place in the afternoon shade under our native peach trees. In their native Texas, they are called Texas Five Star Hibiscus or Texas Star, Star of Texas and in Mexico they are called Mexican Hibiscus and in the Deep South they are called Swamp Hibiscus. In addition to those, one of the more confusing names is Star Mallow. There are so many other mallows that a person could be confused and end up with one that crawls the ground instead of shooting up 6 feet. The Latin name resolves the question though. Just look for seeds or plants of Hibiscus coccineus. Th...

Alcea Rosea's everyday name is Hollyhock. There is nothing every day looking about its buds, flowers, leaves or seed pods. The old fashioned singles are still my favorite though there are doubles that look like peony flowers. Prairie Mallow is called a miniature Hollyhock but does not really resemble the 4-foot tall cousin that takes 2-years to bloom. The Streambank Wild Hollyhock is actually Iliamna rivularis - not an Alcea at all. The resemblance is their plant family, the Mallows. Another relative is Abelmoschus Medik. or okra which some people grow for its flowers and others grow for its fruit. Another significant collection of relatives is all the Hibiscus Genus including Hardy Hibiscus or Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus . This particular relative has a habit of spreading seed everywhere and is disliked by some gardeners because it takes its time leafing out in the spring. Althea L. marshmallow is widely used by herbalists for soothing the respiratory (coughs and so...