Hibiscus 'Berrylicious' PPAF

Older Rose Mallow varieties set their flowers on the end of stems, but the Summerifics™ bloom all along the stem, giving you many, many more flowers! And such blooms they are -- 'Berrylicious' stretches the boundaries of belief with enormous 8- to 9-inch blooms of lavender mauve, the wide petals overlapping freely and showing delightful "crinkly" creases. Hummingbirds go nuts over these blooms . . . and so will you!

The other special feature of the Summerifics™ is their compact habit. ''Berrylicious' is just 4½ to 5 feet high and wide, meaning you can put it in the foundation, along the driveway, in that tight space at the corner of the house, or even in a big tub on the patio! It sports dark green foliage, which in cooler weather is tinged with burgundy. Wow, wow, wow!

The Summerific™ series was developed by our friends at Walters Gardens, and we have Clarence Falstad to thank for 'Berrylicious,' which was introduced in 2011. It's a pleasure to be able to integrate this native perennial into today's smaller garden spaces, and to enjoy so many, many more blooms than before!

Rose Mallow is a native perennial that loves lots of sunshine and good soil drainage. it's not a drought-tolerant plant -- oh, it will probably survive, but it won't thrive and bloom its best unless given consistent moisture. (Think Hydrangea when assessing its watering needs.) But it does tolerate poor soil, clay, sand, humidity, and many other stresses. Not to be confused with the shrub version of Hibiscus -- the Rose-of-Sharon -- Rose Mallow is an easy-care and long-lived deciduous perennial you'll treasure!

Expect 'Berrylicious' to bloom from midsummer until fall. You will love its huge blooms and compact, tidy habit. Give it a try this season! Zones 4-9.