Gardening: Hunting for Hibiscus

In keeping with the tropical weather we've had, I spotted this beautiful hibiscus blossom in the entrance to the Millburn Community Garden.

Turns out it is part of local resident Lezette Proud's "gift" garden--plants she has received as gifts and set out next to her vegetable plot. The hibiscus has lost is tag but the first clue in the hunt for its identity is it is a perennial variety. It is nearly three feet tall with blossoms that are more than twelve inches across, dusty red and quite spectacular.

With a little searching I discovered, should you not want to bring your hibiscus inside over winter, this is the variety for you. Hibiscus moscheutos or more commonly called "rose mallow."  While reds can be hard to distinguish on the Internet, I think I found a match with another photo labeled  hibiscus moscheutos "hybrid red." These will survive in subzero climates. They should be cut back after first frost.  New shoots appear in May or June.

Since they come out late, hibiscus moscheutos make a good companion for spring bulbs and help hide spent foliage.  Once they start blooming the huge blooms stop you in your tracks. Sooner Plant Farm offers a wide selection.

On the other hand, my hibiscus are the tropical variety and are much smaller, orange blossoms with darker green foliage. Tropical hibiscus work well in containers combined with other tropicals like cannas, colocasias (elephant ears) and contrasting light green trailing foliage like lysmachia (creeping jenny). For some striking hybrids visit www.exotichibiscus.com.  They must be brought indoors over the winter but will not bloom again until spring.

Driving around town I thought I would see many more plant examples because advances in breeding techniques have made tropical hibiscus in particular more widely available and more economical but haven't spotted another one.

Instead I found yet another variety of Hibiscus. Hibiscus restaurant featuring American and Caribbean cuisine.  Tucked away in the lower level of the Best Western hotel  in Morristown, it is not something you would probably find unless you went looking for it. Don't be put off by passing the laundry room in the hotel on the way to the restaurant or the banquet style chairs. The food was a pleasant surprise.  It started off with a bang with Jamaican Festival which is a long, filled hush puppie-like fried appetizer and an order of pleasingly peppery Jamaican calamari.  Reasonably priced, we had the Jamaican oxtail, Hibiscus salad and salmon as entrees.

The restaurant features live jazz music on Tuesday, Friday and for brunch on Sunday. Nearly all the tables were already booked for the 7 p.m. performance when we arrived. Hibiscus is home to New Jersey Jazz Society's baby grand piano and it looks like a must visit for any jazz lover.  The address is 270 South Street,  phone (973) 359-0200

On the way home from dinner I noticed a beautiful hibiscus moscheutos in full bloom skirting a mailbox painted with hibiscus blossoms in Chatham.

If you have a hibiscus hiding somewhere, why not upload your photo. The stamens and the wrinkly leaf textures make such a dramatic close up shot.