It's hard not to smile when you see a hibiscus in full bloom! These spectacular large-flowered beauties are almost too beautiful to be real. Here are 5 reasons why we love these spirit-lifting plants.

1. Amazing Flowers!

You can't beat hibiscus when it comes to huge, showy blooms. These tropical flower factories develop wave after wave of 5- to 8-inch wide single or double blooms all summer long. Colors include salmon, red, pink, yellow, coral, lavender, and bi-color. Hummingbirds also love the nectar-rich flowers. And the stamens are works of art.

2. Great in Containers 

Hibiscus thrive in containers and make amazing 'thriller' plants when mixed with other sun-loving summer bloomers such as mandevilla, petunia, lantana, pentas, and verbena. 

3. Tree Forms Add Drama 

Hibiscus are often available in tree form. These plants have been pruned at the nursery to form large flower-filled heads atop a 3 to 4 foot-tall trunk. Sometimes, these trunks are braided to provide even more interest. You can use tree form hibiscus to flank a doorway, brighten a porch, or create a living focal point in the center of a bed or border. 

4. Hibiscus Can Live Indoors

Because hibiscus are tropical in nature, they won't survive freezing temperatures. However, before cold weather arrives, you can prune them back and move them indoors to a sunny window for the winter.

5. Not All Hibiscus Are Tropical

Did you know there are also cold-hardy hibiscus that will survive in the garden during the winter? A close relative of tropical hibiscus, perennial hibiscus, form large, vigorous shrubs that produce dinner-plate sized flowers in a variety of colors. Come fall, the plants die back to the ground and pop back up in the spring after the weather warms. 

Here are tips for growing tropical hibiscus.
Read our Shopper's Guide for Buying Hibiscus. 
Here are 5 more reasons to grow hibiscus!

Written by Doug Jimerson