For big results with little effort, hardy hibiscus is a great perennial for your summer border. The biggest draw is those gorgeous 8- to 12-inch-diameter flowers —they make quite the statement! You’ll find them in shades of pink, red or white with a long pistil and bright yellow anthers that give it some tropical flair. Flowers aren’t the only attraction here—hardy hibiscus has good-looking (and disease-free!) deep to olive green or purple foliage. And leaf shapes vary from round to maplelike. These big, usually 3- to 4-foot-tall perennials take up a large footprint in the border and mimic a shrub in habit.
Most plants that you’ll find at the garden center are hybrids or cultivars of. The species and some older varieties tend to be tall and lanky with blooms near the top. But newer breeding efforts are bringing tidier, mounded habits and new flower colors, such as solid white and shades of pink and red with bluer tones. Another big
