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...

Photos of wild Hardy Hibiscus growing on Highway 69 south of Muskogee arrived via email from Andy Qualls of the Oklahoma Conservation District. Hardy Hibiscus, Hibiscus Moscheutos , is also called Swamp Mallow and Rose Mallow. "The Hardy hibiscus on the wetland on US 69 is just now beginning to bloom and will bloom more heavily over the next few weeks. The flowers only last one day but each morning a new crop of flowers blooms. Those have large flowers (about 4") and are mixed colors from nearly red to white. In about a week they will be very nice and will last into August." If you are in the Muskogee area in the next month, check them out. Qualls said they are south of the Bicycle/Hiking path overpass. I'll try to find them over the next two weeks and give more details about the location and how to get a good view of them.