Cranberry hibiscus is a fast - growing shrubby plant with beautiful burgundy foliage .
Cranberry hibiscus(Hibiscus acetosella)is a vibrant , fast - growing shrubby plant with rich burgundy foliage and handsome palmate foliage resembling those of ared Nipponese maple tree . It is botanically a repeated butgrown as an annualin all but the warmest areas of the United States .
The plant chop-chop reaches its full size in the oestrus of summer . Late summertime and other autumn may initiate sporadic bloom of 4 - inch pinko or red bloom that last for a day , but the alone foliage of cranberry hibiscus is the headliner of the show .
Credit:Dean Schoeppner
Where to Plant Cranberry Hibiscus
Cranberry hibiscus thrives in a full - Sunday spot withrich soiland regular wet . It tolerates part shade but may become leggy and , more significantly , lose the intensity of the leaf color . you could spring up this plant in - ground or in large planters . aboriginal to tropic East Africa , cranberry hibiscus is a tippy repeated inUSDA Zones 9–11so it will not survive winter in cold realm .
Grow cranberry hibiscus as an individual specimen industrial plant , make dramatic play and demarcation in the garden , or plant in large chemical group to bring home the bacon a concentrated backdrop that accentuates other colors and leaf shape throughout the bed . countenance space for your cranberry hibiscus ; it will mature into a full - sizing works by mid- to late summertime . Crowded plants tend to become long-legged with farsighted , heavy stems prone to breakage .
Dean Schoeppner
Credit:Jay Wilde
How and When to Plant Cranberry Hibiscus
Plant cranberry hibiscus in the garden afterall peril of rime has passed . Seedlings quickly grow into large specimen as the temperatures warm . Dig a jam as bass as the roots of your plant and one or two times as all-inclusive as the root ball .
Water newly install plant life heavily and add a 2 – to 3 - inchlayer of mulchto retain wet . Fertilize new plants after they become settle in two to three weeks .
Cranberry Hibiscus Care Tips
Cranberry hibiscus grows best in full sunlight . It thrives in well - drained , nutrient - rich soil that receives regular moisture . The plant is relatively down in the mouth - maintenance , except for the demand for frequent watering .
Light
For the proficient burgundy - red leaf coloring material , grow cranberry hibiscus infull sun . Plants that get too much shadowiness fall back their vivacious colour , and the leaves turn an unsightly shade of chocolate-brown - green . Cranberry hibiscus may benefit from some protection from the afternoon sunlight in areas of extreme heat or when grown in a plantation owner .
Soil and Water
Cranberry hibiscus need moist but well - debilitate grunge and frequent watering . Soil that detain saturated leads to rout guff , while too juiceless soil causes the plant to mislay its leaves prematurely .
Temperature and Humidity
These plant grow well in regions with foresightful and lovesome summer temperatures in the 60 ° F to 85 ° F kitchen stove and average to high humidity .
Fertilizer
Apply abalanced liquid fertilizerevery four to six weeks from late spring through former autumn , follow the recording label instructions . Begin fertilizing two to three hebdomad after planting .
If you are growing cranberry hibiscus in a large plantation owner , use less fertiliser than on in - priming coat flora . This will limit excessive maturation . which demand supernumerary water and more pruning to maintain the plant at a manageable size .
Pruning
Cut back the peak of long stems to make your cranberry hibiscus appear bushier . Pruning is also done to restrain its elevation . In lovesome weather , the plant mature very fast up to 9 feet in altitude . Cranberry hibiscus is soft - wooded with a lot of weight on the branches due to the fertile foliage .
In laboured winds , this redundant weight may cause the stems to crack near the root word of the flora . If this occurs , remove the damaged limbs , cut back the remain branch , and allow the flora to regrow .
Potting and Repotting Cranberry Hibiscus
Most varieties of cranberry hibiscus are too big to develop in anything exceptlarge landscape planter . If you grow it in a plantation owner , settle it in an sphere with easy access to water . with child plants may require water once or doubly daily during the peak of summertime .
Pests and Problems
Cranberry hibiscus does n’t tolerate constantly wet substructure . The soil must drain to eliminate the threat of root rot .
Young plants are susceptible to breakage in high wind . To derogate the risk , do occasional pruning . In area where large plants are exposed to high-pitched winds , turn over back flora stanch or growing the plants through largetomato cagesfor structural bread and butter .
Cranberry hibiscus is easy to mature and not prone to pests . Healthy plants usually fend off small plague infestation long enough for lifelike predatory animal to dispatch the job . However , it is susceptible tomealybugs , thrips , and Nipponese mallet .
Credit:Peter Krumhardt
Excessively in high spirits humidity can pass topowdery mold . Improve airflow around the plants by thinning stems and surrounding plants to alleviate this issue .
How to Propagate Cranberry Hibiscus
Cranberry hibiscus is gentle to disseminate from seed or stem cuttings . observe that the seeded player that you collect from a cultivar wo n’t produce a plant that is identical to the parent . For more predictable resolution , purchase seeds from a seed company or circulate the plant from stem cuttings .
Seed
Allow the seedpod to dry while on the plant . Hold a shock or other container under them and trim the pod from the plant . Crack the seedpod open and agitate out the seeds . lay in the seeds in a warm , dry place over the winter until six to eight weeks before your last spring hoar .
Get a first on the growing season bystarting the seedsindoors . Soak the seeds in affectionate weewee for 1 hour and sow in them 1/4 column inch late in dampened potting admixture . Place the corporation or seminal fluid flats inindirect lightand plow them with clear plastic . Maintain the temperature around 70 ° farad . Do n’t allow the seedlings to dry out .
Stem Cuttings
Rooting the cuttings in soil is the prefer method over rooting them in body of water , which has a lower winner pace .
In the fall , before the oncoming of cold weather , take 12 - inchstem tip cuttings . Remove the foliage from the bottom of the cutting , leaving only a couple of leaves at the top .
Dip the cuttings in root hormone and insert them cut side down in light dampened pot medium . Provide bottom heat of 54 ° -68 ° F for best results . cover version or mist the cuttings several clock time throughout the 24-hour interval to increase humidity until roots start to develop .
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Over the winter , keep the plants in bright , indirect igniter and water regularly to keep them from drying out . If they outgrow their potbelly , repot them to larger pots as needed .
Types of Cranberry Hibiscus
‘Mahogany Splendor’
Hibiscus acetosella‘Mahogany Splendor ’ pass 6 foot tall and 3 foot wide with sturdy offshoot and deep chocolatey - red leaves . The flowers appear in mid- to later summer . Each flower last only a day , but the plant blooms continually until the weather cools .
‘Red Shield’
Jay Wilde
Hibiscus acetosella‘Red Shield ’ is a normally usable flora with iridescent , maroon - Bourgogne leave . The flowers are red-faced with a dark maroon essence . It is a full - sized selection reaching 5 feet tall and 30 column inch panoptic .
‘Panama Red’
Peter Krumhardt
Hibiscus acetosella‘Panama Red ’ is a compact selection , growing to 4 feet tall and 2 ft encompassing . It has deeply cut off burgundy blood-red leafage and saturnine red funnel shape - form flowers that appear infrequently in late summertime and early fall .
Cranberry Hibiscus Companion Plants
Canna
The bold , upright foliage of cannacontrasts beautifully with cranberry hibiscus . Plant light pick in front of or alongside cranberry hibiscus plants and grandiloquent pick behind them . Cannas are available in various high , flower people of colour , and leaf colors . experimentation to find your favorite combination . Zone 7 - 10
Pineapple Sage
The intense yellowish green leafage and bright red blooms ofpineapple sageexplode in color when implant alongside the dark foliation of cranberry hibiscus . Pineapple salvia smells like pineapple yield when squash and appeal hummingbirds and butterflies . Zone 8 - 11
Agapanthus
The farsighted , strappy green leafage and purple - firecracker blossom ofagapanthuspair well with the burgundy foliage of cranberry hibiscus . To highlight the contrasting textures and form of the agapanthus and cranberry hibiscus , plant agapanthus in front of cranberry hibiscus . Zone 7 - 11
Frequently Asked Questions
You do n’t . Cranberry hibiscus blossom are triggered by shortened day length , which occurs late in the growing season . But in most areas , moth-eaten weather at this time of year eliminates the chance of bloom . If you are fortunate enough to live in a warmer climate where your plants can bloom , enjoy it , but for most gardeners , this plant life is produce for the beautiful foliation .
Although cranberry hibiscus is not related toedible cranberries , it is edible . The leaves are sour - tasting and can be bestow to salads and sauce or used to add color and acidity to dish .
Deer usually leave cranberry hibiscus alone , although they may pasture on them if there is a deficit of other food for thought sources .
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Cranberry hibiscus attract pollinators , from bees to butterflies to hummingbirds . In warm climates , these flowering shrubs produce a ton of sweet nectar to keep pollinators give .
Credit: Bill Stites
