I saw this Hibiscus for sale outside my local grocery store. At that time, it did not have any flowers blooming. However, it looked pretty durable. And it was cheap- so in the cart it went.

After a few days, my pretty plant started to bloom like gangbusters. Can’t even help itself. Big, red, tropical blossoms right in my front yard. I’m sure my neighbors think this is some kind of miracle plant, given the amount of dead foliage I have displayed in the past. But, alas, I have a tropical hibiscus plant/tree blooming like a maniac on my front walkway. Amazing.

As the summer progressed, my hibiscus continues to thrive. But I will have a problem soon– I want to permanently plant this hibiscus somewhere where it will continue to live. I cannot plant this hibiscus exactly in the spot where it currently is blooming because it is sitting in its original ugly container, on the cement sidewalk leading to my front door. I thought about renting a jack hammer, making a hole in the middle of my sidewalk, plant it there and have everyone walk around it. I am not opposed to doing this, but my husband would have a problem with that. What to do? Time to make a plan.

My plan consisted of researching hibiscus plants and how to care for these delicate plants in zone 5 (Michigan). In my research I find that there are two types of hibiscus plants– The Hardy Hibiscus and The Tropical Hibiscus. I had no clue that there were varieties of this plant. I just thought it was a nice tropical tree that survived in the Michigan summer.

Apparently, many people who live in the frigid 5 zone had the same thinking as me. Summer plant, toss it in the winter. Well, not so. If you are lucky enough to have a Hardy Hibiscus in zone 5, it can survive a winter with a little help from the great indoors. Here is a quick guide to determine if your hibiscus is Hardy or Tropical:

• If the hibiscus has deep green, glossy leaves, and three to six inch flowers of red, pink, orange, yellow, double or single flowers, it is most likely a Tropical hibiscus-
• If the hibiscus flowers are salmon, peach, orange, or yellow, or if it is double flowered, then you most likely own a Tropical hibiscus. Hardy hibiscus do not come in these colors or in doubles

• If your hibiscus has medium green heart shaped leaves, 10-12″ flowers the are (white) white, pink or red with gigantic buds , it is most likely a perennial, hardy hibiscus.

According to these tips, I believe I have a hardy tropical hibiscus!! Oh, wait, it can’t be both. So, I decide that I have a tropical hibiscus and that I can take it and move to a tropical zone like Sanibel Island , Florida. Financially, this is not feasible, or realistic. I am an idealist, not a realist.

Realistically I need to winterize my hibiscus by providing it with a nice, warm sunny spot in my house and letting it grow inside all winter. Realistically, this will not happen either. I do not have a warm, sunny spot in my house during the winter. I do have a nice, cozy dark “family room” with a natural fireplace that could blaze my plant to death during the winter. So I must give my hibiscus away to someone who can care for it during the winter (Mom?????)…

In any case, I learned another lesson in regards to gardening and caring for delicate plants. Here is my experience so far (it’s only August 17- one more month of summer):

1. I killed my beautiful, flowering lobelia basket by deadheading it to the point of extinction. I thought that it needed to be deadheaded, but as I methodically plucked the plant to death, my 4 year old daughter told me that there was a “crack” in the pot. Imagine my surprise when I looked at the side and saw a chunk of the pot missing. That’s why it was dying. No water….
2. I picked a pod off my “Chinese Lantern” plant before it was ready. I thought it was a seed. Good thing I left the other pod on the plant to watch it turn red like the one in the store. I thought the guy at the Farmer’s Market ripped me off.
3. I must have planted my tulip bulbs upside down because I only had mutated looking leafs growing out of the ground.
4. I killed off one Rose of Sharon tree in the back by stepping on it and cracking up the sticks. And they say those things are indispensable…..

However, I did help my daughter plant a garden for her Zebra. We spread some seeds, mixed in a little dirt and sand from the sandbox, and now we wait. I think we planted green peppers. Could be out of season. In the meantime, I think I’ll just enjoy my tropical hardy hibiscus for this summer and then purchase this cute, little plastic hibiscus hummingbird feeder that

will remind me of bright summer days during a zone 5 winter.