How to Grow Berry Awesome Hibiscus

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Grow Berry Awesome Hibiscus to attract butterflies and bees to the late Summer garden. Berry Awesome Hibiscus is a hybrid and part of the Summerific Hibiscus Collection. Developed by the talented folks at Walters Gardens. 

Grow Berry Awesome Hibiscus Berry Awesome Hibiscus #BeeFriendly #AttractsButterflies #Pollinators #GardeningforPollinators #OrganicGardening #SummerificWeek #SummerificHibiscus #WaltersGardens
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Grow Berry Awesome Hibiscus – Berry Awesome Hibiscus (photo by Walters Gardens)

Characteristics of Hibiscus or Rose Mallow 

Berry Awesome Hibiscus is commonly known as Rose Mallow, a hardy hibiscus perennial.  

This hibiscus has an upright densely compact growth habit with large sized blooms that can reach 7 to 8 inches wide. A fast grower, Berry Awesome Hibiscus is hardy up to zone 4. The tropical-like flowers bloom later in the season and at times, into early Fall. Summerific Hibiscus has lavender pink flowers with a red eye and contrasting deep midnight green foliage. 

Unlike other cultivars, the Summerific Hibiscus produces flowers from the top to the bottom of the plant. In other words, it is an indeterminate blooming plant. During the blooming period, blooms appear from the length of the stem top to the bottom of the plant. 

The North American native is from the central and eastern regions of the United States. In 2019, Berry Awesome was named the 2019 Proven Winners National Perennial of the Year!    

This Hibiscus collection has top to bottom flower coverage as seen in the image below.  

2019 Proven Winners National Perennial of the Year Berry Awesome Hibiscus #BeeFriendly #AttractsButterflies #Pollinators #GardeningforPollinators #OrganicGardening #SummerificWeek #SummerificHibiscus #WaltersGardens
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2019 Proven Winners National Perennial of the Year – Berry Awesome Hibiscus

How to Grow Berry Awesome Hibiscus – About the Hibiscus 

First, the Berry Awesome Hibiscus plant features and growing conditions:

  • Grows in zones 4 to 9 
  • Part shade and part Sun to full Sun 
  • Reaches 4 feet high with a spread of 4 1/2 to 5 feet wide 
  • Flowers are 7 to 8 inch ruffled lavender pink flowers with a cherry red eye and midnight green foliage 
  • Blooms from Mid to late Summer
  • Bee friendly hibiscus that attract butterflies 
  • Resistant to deer 
  • Tolerant of fertile, average, or poor soil conditions 
  • Grows in slightly acidic soil 
  • Needs regular, consistent watering 
  • Rapid growth rate 
  • Use in a cottage garden, as a Bog plant or specimen plant 
  • Native to North America. 

Garden Site Selection   

Select the right garden spot for the hibiscus. Summerific Hibiscus loves the Sun, likes regular watering, and needs plenty of room for future growth. In addition to these considerations, have a nearby water source for frequent watering trips. At maturity, Berry Awesome reaches 4 ½ to 5 feet wide so no overcrowding. This ensures that Berry Awesome won’t need to compete with the surrounding plants for water. 

Grow Berry Awesome Hibiscus Soil Preparation #BeeFriendly #AttractsButterflies #Pollinators #GardeningforPollinators #OrganicGardening #SummerificWeek #SummerificHibiscus #WaltersGardens
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Grow Berry Awesome Hibiscus Soil Preparation

Soil Preparation   

  • Prepare the garden bed soil. Loosen and break the soil apart using a trowel.     
  • Berry Awesome likes a slightly acidic soil. We added sphagnum peat moss to the garden bed since it is acidic and also helps water drain. Add compost if needed. 
  • Work sphagnum peat moss and compost into the soil.  
  • Japanese Beetles are attracted to perennial hibiscus. We sprinkled Milky Spore powder in the soil. If you do not have grubs or Japanese Beetles then you don’t need to mix in milky spore to the soil. Milky Spore prevents grubs laid by the Japanese Beetles from emerging the following year. 

How to Grow Berry Awesome Hibiscus 

Perennial of the Year award Berry Awesome Bloom #BeeFriendly #AttractsButterflies #Pollinators #GardeningforPollinators #OrganicGardening #SummerificWeek #SummerificHibiscus #WaltersGardens
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