Comments on: Tropical Hibiscus

By: Laurie M

Laurie M — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:21:51 +0000

I have a hardy “Big red hibiscus” that i bought from a plant catalog and received in September. i live in an apartment in Massachusetts with hopes of moving soon, so i kept the plant inside. the plant started off doing great and growing new leaves. its now December and it looks to be going downhill. the plant is about 4 or 5 inches tall. there were 3 leaves at the top, one turned yellow and fell off while the other 2 dried up and are still on there. also the top inch and a half of the stem turned brown and looks like a dead stick. the next inch down is sort of whitish green. the bottom couple inches look healthy and green with new leaves buds starting to grow, other than them there are no leaves on the plant. i wasnt sure if its dying or dying back for the winter. is this normal or is there something i can do to help it? at the same time i also received a hardy white hibiscus and that one is doing great, but im trying not to compare them because they are different types. i have the plant near a window so it gets the sun when it comes out, and the temp is usually around 70-75. i water it when it looks dry on top of the soil. the air might be a little dry, could that have anything to do with it? thank you so much in advance.

Hi Laurie
The low light indoor conditions cause tropical hibiscus to drop their leaves and go dormant. Since it has dropped all its leaves, keep the plant in a cool 40 degrees and dry. Water just enough to keep the soil slightly moist and the stems from shriveling. In the spring, place it in a warm sunny window and start watering. If you don’t want to store it dormant, place it in the sunniest window and water moderately(much less than you would in the summer). Growth will be sparse and spindly.

By: bonnie njos

bonnie njos — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:25:35 +0000

I have a hibiscus plant from walmart. It has very few leaves but bloomed profusley all summer outdoors. now that it is cold here I brought it inside. it has not bloomed for awhile now,but fails to grow its leaves any bigger. The craziest thing I’ve ever seen,not to mention wierd looking!bear58843@live.com

Hi Bonnie
Your hibiscus is in its “dormant stage”, so the best thing you can do is provide it high light and water occasionally keeping it on the drier side. It will grow very little indoors and may or may not put out a few flowers. In early spring cut back the stems by 1/3 to shape the plant and repot in fresh soil. You can also trim the roots. Once you see new growth, fertilize and when the weather permits bring it outside into shade until it is acclimated to higher light exposure.

By: Dawn in Texas

Dawn in Texas — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:30:18 +0000

I have an outdoor Hibiscus Plant that is inground and has been there prior to me being in my house over a year now. The plant was coming up nicely early/late spring, but noticed about a week ago a white powdery substance on plant. All the leaves turned yellow and fell off. The plant is now down to a stick. I know it has to be a fungus, can you tell me what to do to get rid of the fungus and bring the plant back to life…Thanks

Hi Dawn
Sounds like powdery mildew.

By: Fred Soder

Fred Soder — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:17:35 +0000

I have two splendid tropical hibiscus plants and one is blooming beautifully. The other shows signs of growth but does not flower.
What can be wrong?

Hi Fred
Are they both getting the same amount of sun exposure? Did you fertilize the plants? Try a light dose of a bloom boost fertilizer (higher middle #). Fertilize lightly and often.

By: mistie

mistie — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:39:59 +0000

Hi I live in Baton Rouge and have two beautiful Apricot Hibiscus. They had enormous flowers and bright shiny green leaves. Now I have some yellowing leaves near the bottom and closer to the stems, the flowers and much smaller and the leaves are dull and droopy. What is wrong please? And how do I fix it?

Is this plant in a container? Some yellowing leaves are normal-they are old and the plant is getting rid of them. It can also be a sign of stress, low nutrients, too much fertilizer, too wet soil or insect infestation.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:49:51 +0000

H. moscheutos
i bought a beautiful hibiscus tree and shrub last summer i was told i could leave them outside for the winter ( i live in Buffalo, ny) as of today either is showing any signs of life. did i kill them by not bringinging them inside. i pruned both back. i am seeing a little green when i scratch at the base of the tree and was told if i try to pull the tree up and it doesn’t come out the roots are still alive. plz help!!!!! ty

Hi Lisa
I’m not sure what kind of hibiscus you have. If it is the tropical one, then there is a good chance that it’s dead. You might have a hardy variety that is just slow to get growing. Hibiscus moscheutos (hardy hibsicus), this shrub dies back to the ground every winter and emerges in late spring.

By: BillyF

BillyF — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:30:04 +0000

I have read many of your responses, and have gotten som helpful tips, but still wanted to run my specific scenario by you. About a month ago, I bought a really nice and Hibiscus…It has a single twisted trunk (or whatever you call it), that is about 3-4 inches in diameter. When i bought it, it had a nice ball of foliage at the top, although when I planted it, the leaves immediately started to wilt and droop..so about 2 weeks after that, I decided to cut all the limbs back to try and promote new growth, but havent had much luck…I have noticed that there are a few little leaves starting to grow on the most random spots along the branches….So, I know that you said in other responses that the plant is under stress. I know it doesnt have an insect problem..so most likely either too wet or too dry….is there anyway to tell without digging way down along the outer edge of where the root ball is…the top dirt looks fine and looks to be the perfect amount of moisture, but I am afraid of what is down below….any help would be appreciated…Thanks

Hi Billy
I bet your bought a tropical hibiscus. When you planted it in the ground you put it into transplant shock-thus the wilting drooping leaves. Too much sun and not enough roots to support the foliage. Cutting it back may help, but hopefully, you didn’t cut it back too much. It sounds like it has some new growth coming back. Fertilize it with dose 10-10-10 to stimulate new growth.

By: riddle

riddle — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:07:29 +0000

my plants leaves have become yellow i have kept them in the shade now what should i do the big leaves have dried up and the small leaves are droopy so what should i do now please help soon………

Hi Riddle
Because of the root damage, there is nothing you can do until the roots begin to recover. It may be that they will not especially since they had a fungal rot before you transplanted them. The yellow leaf drop can be a normal response because the roots cannot support the leaves. When/if you see new growth sprouting, then you can move your plant out to the sun.

By: riddle

riddle — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:36:04 +0000

it has a good drainage but now the plant looks very droopy it is almost dead when i plucked a leaf it was almost dead so what should i do please help as soon as possible i will cut the plant to its 1/3 after your next message and also please message that how much should i water the plant it is a hot day with cold nights here in india. and there is a foul smell coming from the roots when i moved the soil and saw the soil attached th the soil had become black and a foul smell was coming from it.so what should i do……..reply soon my plants life is in your hands…..

Hi Riddle
You just mentioned the most critical problem – a foul smell from the roots means that they have root rot caused by a fungus. This is usually caused by overwatering (keeping the plant to wet too long). This problem can also occur with poor soil that doesn’t drain well. Hopefully, when you replanted you used fresh well-drained soil. At this point make sure the plant dries out between watering and keep the plant in the cool shade until it recovers. If it recovers.

By: riddle

riddle — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:51:17 +0000

Transplanting hibiscus
i have a red hibiscus i repoted it in a bigger pot and now the leaves look droopy and the plant looks that it is about to die and it hadn’t flowered for a long time so please help me soon i am waiting for your reply. send it to riddle_man@rediffmail.com thank u very much. it will be kind of u if u reply soon..

HI Riddle
It sounds as if your hibiscus is in transplant shock. The roots have been disturbed and damaged and they are struggling to send moisture to the leaves that is why they are wilting. If you cut back the plant by 1/3, it will help the plant recover faster. Keep your hibiscus in a shaded area until it recovers from transplanting (about 1 wk) and then slowly move it to more sun. Make sure when you water that it drains from the bottom of the container so the roots are not sitting in water. A root stimulant will also help new root growth.