Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' Rose Mallow

Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' earns its name with every leaf and flower it sets. The darkest rose mallow yet—its foliage is even more violet-purple than 'Kopper King'—it is a standout in any setting. After a brilliant purple show in spring and summer, the leaves turn a fiery orange for fall. But the foliage is just part of its glory. Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' also sets huge, deep red blooms from midsummer until frost, simply covering itself in color for 3 months or more each year.

The handsome, maple-shaped leaves on this fast-growing rose mallow reach nearly a foot long, and are very abundantly borne on this well-branched, imposing perennial. Absolutely show-stopping, they make Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' an excellent choice for a specimen as well as a hedge, accent planting, or border standout. And the color refuses to green out in summer, even in fiery heat.

By midsummer the plant is studded with long, elegantly twisted buds, which open to beautifully veined massive carmine-red blooms. A true red hibiscus is a rarity, and Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' offers a dark, pleasing shade of crimson that sets it apart from all others. The flowers continue until the first hard frost, recovering nicely from those light frosts that dot autumn nights in many areas.

With the first run of cooler fall weather, the foliage turns brilliant shades of orange, remaining on the plant for many weeks before dropping. This adds a whole new dimension to the color palette, the red blooms combining boldly with the orange leaves. Talk about fall color.

H. moscheutos is native to the southeastern United States, thriving in swamps, marshes, and wet meadows. If grown in very moist soil, Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' will probably be somewhat larger in size and heavier in bloom, provided it receives full sun and good hot summers. It can withstand short periods of drought, but the flower count will be affected. It doesn't mind heavy or clay soils, and needs heat and sun to grow its best. Low maintenance, very long-blooming, and so colorful, it is a must-have for the garden. Zones 4-9