From my understanding, it is hardy to zone 6. However, if you can recreate a mini climate zone in your garden, it MIGHT survive. Some folks have gone to a lot of extra work to insulate, and then uncover in June to wait for new shoots. I figure they have lost most of the summer doing this. Personally, I would be tempted to bring it indoors. I certainly bring all my tropicals inside.

Texas Star is red.

bkay

Texas Star Hibiscus comes in various colors of red as well as White.
Paul

I need help. I planted the Texas Star from seeds. They
are three year old plants that come back every year BUT
do not bloom!!! How can I get them to bloom. Do they
need acid fertilizer or what?? I want them to bloom so
bad.

I have both the red and the white ones. They are in 10" pots with walmart potting soil, and blooming their heads off. I just feed them regular miracle grow and occasionaly some super bloom. They get city water out of the hose. I guess I'm saying mine don't get special care.
pa

Mine are definitely red! They haven't bloomed yet but are all covered with buds, some of which are starting to open. I'm looking forward to them opening. I don't have the room to bring them all in for the winter so I think I will repot into bigger pots and sink them into the ground and hope for the best. Maybe try 1 or 2 in the house. Marg

Marric,

Just save seeds from them and restart indoors in late Jan.
They should be strong enough to move outside at least part time by mid march then put them in the ground after your last frost.
I am in central texas and they are hardys here. You may have to treat them like annuals.
pa

The biggest problem here is that none of them have started to flower til the end of August and I don't think they will have enough time to set seed. What we did was dig 2 long trenches in the garden and sank the pots into them. Then we will mulch them as soon as the ground freezes, which probably won't be much longer since nights here are already in the single digits. I did bring one of each into the sunroom to overwinter. I will wait and see what overwinters in the garden - hopefully I will have good luck. Thanks to everyone for there help. Marg

marric,

I am getting mature seed (dry brown)pods in about 2 weeks after the bloom dies. You should be able to get several seed pods before the plants die back.
pa

marric,
If you don't get any seeds contact me through GW and we will see if I can provide a few seeds to get you started again next year.
pa

Thank you so much for the offer! Two of mine are now flowering and one has actually set a seed pod, tiny but it's there. I spoke to a lady who lives in the same zone as I do and she says she has the same one and it overwinters with just mulching. I plan to mulch as soon as the ground freezes and hopefully they will make it thru the winter. The spot I sank the pots into the ground is sheltered from direct winds so that may help. BTW, just to let you know, I'm in Canada. Marg

What I used to do with mine to keep them safe was to cut them back to 6" tall, put a 4' tall circle of chicken wire around them (about 1' in diameter) and fill it with pine straw, really pack it down. That way, they did not die down to the roots. I was in zone 7a, though, so I don't know if that would work as far north as you are.

shelia they need lots of sun. I dug some up at a friends house earlier this year, and planted some in full sun, others in part shade. The part shade ones haven't bloomed yet, while I harvest flower pedals off the other one daily right now.

I am digging the other one up next spring and plant it at my daughters house.

Moni

Texas Star are part of the mallow family, therefore fertilize them with hibiscus food.

Oklamoni, how do you use the petals of this Hibiscus? I have been reading that several varieties including H. acetasello and H. sabdariffa have edible leaves and flowers. I assume that others probably are edible, too? (See, for example, Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier) He also talks about edible uses of Abelmoschus manihot and Malva moschata which are closely related