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Tropical Hibiscus
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Tropical Hibiscus blooms from June through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Tropical Hibiscus
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 9–11. Expect it to reach about 5 ft tall and 3.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Tropical Hibiscus. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Tropical Hibiscus
Plant Tropical Hibiscus in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 9, the middle of its hardy zones 9 to 11, spring means January to March and fall means October or November. Once settled, it blooms from June to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 9, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 9 in January. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Tropical Hibiscus get?
5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult3.5 ftwideSee Tropical Hibiscus in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Tropical Hibiscus
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Tropical Hibiscus about 3.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Tropical Hibiscus to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Tropical Hibiscus' height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 9 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionHibiscus rosa-sinensisheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenHibiscus rosa-sinensisheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterHibiscusheight, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenHibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Persimmon'height, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- Proven WinnersHollywood Hibiscus Talk of the Town, Hibiscus rosa-sinensisheight, spread, hardiness zones and trait tags
- asu.eduArizona State University, Chris Martin plant library (Hibiscus rosa-si...height, hardiness zones and sun
- unf.eduUniversity of North Florida Botanical Garden (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)height, sun and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Gardening Solutions (Hibiscus)trait tags
- University of Minnesota ExtensionHibiscussun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 11 varieties across 6 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Tropical Hibiscus group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coral | Orange | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Fiesta | Orange | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Hula Girl | Yellow | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Lavender | Purple | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Magenta | Pink | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Orange | Orange | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Peach | Orange | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| President | Red | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Red | Red | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Tropicalthis page | Pink | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| White | White | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Yellow | Yellow | Jun–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
Good to know about Tropical Hibiscus
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Bud drop is a general stress signal, not one deficiency: it sheds buds from cold, heat, being moved, or swings between over- and under-watering. Keep conditions steady. per NC State
Overwinter indoors in cold zones
Anywhere colder than zone 9, grow it in a pot and bring it in before nights hit the mid-to-low 50s F; some leaf drop is normal. per University of Maryland
Not the hardy hibiscus
Nursery labels blur three plants: this frost-tender tropical, hardy Rose of Sharon, and hardy rose mallow. Check hardiness before planting in a cold zone. per Clemson
Each flower lasts a day
Each big, showy bloom opens for only about a day, but the plant flowers in flushes across spring, summer and fall, near year-round where it never frosts. per NC State
Draws hummingbirds, resists deer
The big nectar-rich flowers pull in hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators, and support a specialist mallow bee. Deer tend to leave it alone. per NC State
What pairs well with Tropical Hibiscus
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Pansy
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath.
Echeveria
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 4 in, to carpet the ground beneath; echoes the pink.
White Clover
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 4 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage; they only overlap in zones 9 to 10.
Stock
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 1.5 ft, for the front of the border; echoes the pink.
Lobelia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage.
Freesia
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 1.5 ft, for the front of the border; they only overlap in zones 9 to 10.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; they only overlap in zones 9 to 10.
Creeping Phlox
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; they only overlap in zone 9.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.