Hibiscus Summerific® 'Perfect Storm'

Hibiscus Summerific® 'Perfect Storm': White Blooms With a Red Starburst Eye

White petals edged in pink, a bright red eye and veins radiating out like lightning. 'Perfect Storm' rolls in low and wide, and the forecast for the rest of your garden is SEVERE JEALOUSY WARNINGS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Hibiscus hybrid
• Common Name: Rose Mallow, Hardy Hibiscus
• Series: Summerific®, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 90 cm (3 ft)
• Spread: 135–150 cm (4.5–5 ft)
• Flowers: White with pink-edged petals and a bright red eye with radiating veins, 18–20 cm (7–8 in) across
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to early fall (July to September)
• Foliage: Dark, deeply coloured leaves on a low, wide plant
• Features: Long blooming

Where to Plant: Its short, wide shape suits the front or middle of a border, foundation beds and smaller gardens where a two-metre hibiscus would take over. It's also a good choice for moist spots, including rain gardens and low corners of the yard.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Perfect Storm' in a sunny, moist bed with white turtleheads, scarlet lobelia and Joe Pye. Chelone obliqua 'Alba' adds white turtleheads at 60 to 90 cm in August and September. Lobelia 'Queen Victoria' brings scarlet spikes over dark leaves at 75 to 90 cm from July to September. Eupatorium 'Atropurpureum' rises behind at 150 to 210 cm with dusky rose-purple heads. Hierochloe odorata adds sweetgrass at 30 to 60 cm.

Plant Care: Pick a sunny spot with at least six hours of direct sun. Moist, fertile soil suits it best, and it handles heavy clay as long as the clay stays damp. Water deeply through dry stretches; this is not a plant that enjoys going thirsty. It sleeps in late. New shoots may not show until late May or even early June. Put a stake or label beside it so you don't dig into it by mistake. Each spring, before growth starts, cut last year's stems to about 15 cm (6 in). Pruners usually won't do it; use loppers or a small saw. Mulch well through the first winter. Leave the clump in place rather than dividing it. Hand-pick Japanese beetles if they show up.

History: 'Perfect Storm' is part of the Summerific® collection from Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, and is about half the height of 'Summer Storm', an earlier dark-leaved variety. Hardy hibiscus are bred largely from Hibiscus moscheutos, the swamp rose mallow, a wetland wildflower of eastern North America that reaches its northern edge in the marshes of southwestern Ontario.

Final Thoughts: Sun, a front-of-border spot and a long run of blooms. Hummingbirds are chasing this storm. NO UMBRELLA REQUIRED.