Are you looking for a colorful perennial that likes full sun? Check out the hardy hibiscus plants growing in the Akron Zoo’s Lehner Family Zoo Gardens and alongside the hill to the left of the carousel. In contrast to the tropical hibiscus, which needs to winter indoors in this region, the hardy hibiscus is frost tolerant and can stand up to our Ohio winters.  

Hibiscus plants produce multicolored blooms from midsummer to fall. The blooms can be up to the size of dinner plates, and they come in vibrant colors that darken as the flower matures. These blooms attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The plants are also moderately resistant to rabbits and deer, which makes them a must-have for your home garden.  

When established, the hardy hibiscus grows into a rounded shrub each year which can be up to five feet tall. It likes well-drained to moist soil with one or two inches of mulch. As the plant grows, you can also remove the spent flowers (a process called deadheading) to get repeat blooming; what could be better than more blooms? Plants should be cut back to four to six inches in late fall to prepare your hibiscus for its “winter nap” before waking up to bloom again in the spring.