Plants: Hibiscus moscheutos 'Adéla' - swamp mallow, hardy hibiscus

Swamp mallow has been a sought after plant over the past couple of years and its popularity is rising as new varieties keep coming in the market.

Now, a little bit of Czech film history. There is a comedy movie, very popular and funny in which the leading role belongs to a carnivorous plant with fantastic, huge flowers that ate people. For dinner. The plant had a human name: Adéla. And looking at the extra large flowers of this Czech variety of swamp mallow it is clear why it received the same name. The flowers are up to 25 cm across, clear pink with deep red eyes.

Leaves are smooth and slightly hairy underneath, deep green. They do not have lobes like other hibiscus species.

The plant is dependent on regular water and feed supply. 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 can be achieved by good mulching. The soil has to be fertile and permeable, never let it dry out in summer. However, in winter the plant must not linger in wet ground, it would rot. Protect it with straw or mulch. Thus it will survive temperatures down to -27°C (USDA zone 5). Cut back the plant only a few centimetres above ground level in spring. New buds emerge very late – sometimes in May.

Size/type: tall perennial
Usual height: 1.3-1.5m
Usual width: 0.5-0.8m
Leaves: deciduous broadleaf
Colour of leaves: green
Flowers: showy
Colour of flowers: pink
Blooming time: august - september
Location: full sun
Belongs to categories: perennials, summer blooms