Description
Zinger Hibiscus Plants
MEG’s Zinger Hibiscus Plants are a great plant for herbal teas or simply enjoy their natural beauty. All parts of the plant are edible! Foliage is green and maroon.
5 Helpful Points:
- 1 plant per 10 gallon grow bag
- Expected yield: 15-20+ flowers at the end of summer
- Great for herbal teas
- Full sun preferred
- Leaves and flowers are edible
When to expect harvest
Zinger hibiscus is short-day plant. This makes it a more difficult plant to grow in Minnesota due to the long days. Expect the plant to flower and produce prized calyxes for tea at the end of September.
Growth habit of Zinger Hibiscus Plants
Plants have a bush-style growth and can grow over 3 feet tall. As stated above, this is a short-day plant. That means it needs to have uninterrupted darkness for a predetermined amount of time to trigger flower formation. This coincides with late September in Zone 4 of Minnesota.
So what’s the big deal?
Well, we could have frost on the ground at this time of year which this plant can not tolerate at all. In fact, hibiscus plants are traditionally grown in tropical locations. So, if we experience cooler weather, your plant will need to come inside overnight.
Basic care information for Zinger Hibiscus Plants
Thoroughly saturate the grow bag with water in the morning before the heat of the day arrives. If daytime highs are consistently above 70F, your plant will need to be watered daily. Check the grow bag frequently by using the finger method described on the bag tag.
Slow-release fertilizer is included in every hibiscus grow bag. Add supplemental fertilizer if the leaves start to turn light green or pale in color. Look for fertilizer labeled for vegetables or use a fertilizer with a higher nitrogen content i.e. fish emulsion.
Recipe to try with Zinger Hibiscus Plants
Here’s a recipe you may enjoy: Hibiscus Lemonade.
More Information
Check out MEG’s Edible Knowledge Base for more information on edible flowers.
