How Fast Does a Hibiscus Bush Grow?

The hibiscus bush is a vibrantly colored perennial that can grow up to 15 feet tall in frost-free locations. The large, showy flowers can be a wide variety of colors or bicolors. Hibiscus bushes are deciduous and have leaves that are dark green in color.

Growth Time Period

The speed of the growth of a hibiscus can vary depending upon multiple factors. These factors include the location where it is planted, how it is propagated and the type of weather conditions that normally occur. Some varieties of hibiscus require as long as 18 months to produce flowers. If the hibiscus is purchased as a mature plant, it normally will bloom the same year it is planted.

Soil and Light Preferences

Hibiscus plants do best in soil that is well-drained. These flowers need to be constantly damp but not soaking wet. If the soil is not rich, compost can be mixed in with the soil used to fill the hole. Hibiscus need to be planted in areas that receive full sun. They also do well in containers that can be placed in full sunlight for several hours every day.

When and How to Plant

The hibiscus plant can be planted at any time during spring, summer or fall. These plants need to be spaced from 3 to 6 feet apart. The hole needs to be only as deep as the root ball. The width should be 2 or 3 times the width of the root ball.

Varieties

The hibiscus has many varieties. Common garden varieties are usually one solid color. However, tropical hibiscus varieties have more than one color of flower. All varieties of hibiscus are perennials. Some varieties grow to be large bushes or medium-size trees after several years.

Fast Does A Hibiscus Bush Grow?

Tropica hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), also called Chinese hibiscus, is hardy from U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. It is used as a specimen, a shrub or hedge. Rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is an American native plant that flourishes in salt marshes and marshy forests in the southeastern U.S. Hybrids provide perennial shrubs that grow 3 to 8 feet tall. Plants bloom all summer long through early fall, producing large white to dark rose-colored flowers with red eyes. The shrubs prefer well-drained soil and are moderately drought tolerant. In areas where freezing temperatures endanger Chinese hibiscus, the plants will grow moderately in containers or patio planters, though not as fast as in soil. A 2-foot-tall plant might grow to 4 feet over a summer.